TRAVELS 



INTERIOR OF BRAZIL 



WITH NOTICES ON ITS 



CLIMATE, AGRICULTURE, COMMERCE, POPULATION, 
MINES, MANNERS, AND CUSTOMS : 



A PARTICULAR ACCOUNT 

THE GOLD AND DIAMOND DISTRICTS. 



A VOYAGE TO THE RIO DE LA PLATA. 



JOHN M AWE. 



SECOND EDITION. 



ILLUSTRATED WITH COLORED PLATES. 



ILonaon: 




PRINTED FOR LONGMAN, HURST, REES, ORIUE, AND BROWN, 
PATERNOSTER ROW J 
AND SOLD BY THE AUTHOR, 149; STRAND. 

1822. 



K' Uuwati Printer, Petnbcrfon Iloia 
Cough Square. 



PREFACE. 



SINCE the first appearance of this work, nine 
years have elapsed, during which period transla- 
tions of it have been published in France, Sweden, 
Germany, and Russia, as well as in Portugal and 
Brazil, and two editions of it have been given in 
the United States of America. Encouraged by 
these unequivocal proofs of approbation, and by 
the kind offers of assistance from several eminent 
persons in Brazil, and from others attached to the 
Portuguese interests in this country, I have at 
length, and I trust not prematurely, ventured 
again to submit it to the notice of the Public. 
In its present form, it is divested of some details, 
which however interesting at the period of its 
first publication, have ceased to be so ; and their 
place has been supplied by matter of higher and 
more lasting importance, collected from official 
documents relative to Brazil, and from private 

«2 



Vi PREFACE. 

memoranda communicated by persons well ac- 
quainted with the present state of that interesting 
country. For the opportunity of making many 
of these improvements, I have to offer my grate- 
ful acknowledgments to the Conde de Funchal, 
late ambassador from Portugal at the British 
Court; and I have also to express my sincerest 
thanks to A. F. J. Marreco, Esq. for the access 
which he has afforded me to various authentic 
and valuable sources of information, and for his 
kind and judicious suggestions to me while pre- 
paring the present edition for the press. How 
far I have profited by these estimable advantages, 
will best appear from the work itself, which I now 
submit to the equitable judgment of the Public. 
Conciseness, as far as is consistent with fidelity 
of description, has been my principal aim ; and I 
trust that the reader will not think that I have 
trespassed too much on his time, when he com- 
pares this with the more voluminous productions 
which have recently been published on the same 
subject. 



CONTENTS. 



CHAPTER I. 

Voyage to Cadiz and thence to the Rio de la Plata. 

Adventures at Monte Video, Character of the 

Inhabitants. Trade. Climate Geological Re- 
marks, Recent Changes. Monte Video under the 

Portuguese. Agriculture and Trade of the Rio de 

la Plata. • . . . . . 1 

CHAPTER II. 

Journey to Barriga Negra. Geology of the Country. 

Limestone, and mode of burning it Horned Cattle. 

Peons.— -Horses. Defective State of Agriculture — 

Manners of the Inhabitants Dress. Wild Ani- 
mals. Monte Video taken by the British. My re- 
turn thither. . . . . .22 



CHAPTER III. 

Expedition against Buenos Ayres Account of the 

Population of the Country, and Classes which com- 
pose it. 46 



viii 



CONTENTS. 



CHAPTER IV. 

Voyage to St. Catherine's. Description of that Island, 

and of the Coast in its Vicinity. Arrival at Santos, 

and Journey thence to S. Paulo. . . .55 

CHAPTER V. 

Description of S. Paulo. System of 'Farming prevalent 

in its Neighbourhood Excursion to the Gold 

Mines of Jaragud. Mode of icorkinq them. — Re- 

turn to Santos. . . . ; . .92 

CHAPTER VI. 

Coasting Voyage from Santos to Sapitivu, and Journey 
thence to Bio de Janeiro. . . . . 122 



CHAPTER VII. 

Description of Rio de Janeiro — Trade. — State of So- 
ciety. Visit to the Prince Regent's Farm at Santa 

Cruz 135 



CHAPTER VIIT. 

Journey to Cant a G alio. . . . • 157 

CHAPTER IX. 

Description of Canta Gallo. Of the Gold-washing of 

Santa Rita. Account of the supposed Silver - 

Mine, . 170 



CONTENTS. IX 



CHAPTER X. 

Permission ohtained to visit the Diamond Mines.— Ac- 
count of a pretended Diamond presented to the 
Prince Regent. Journey to Villa Rica. . 195 



CHAPTER XL 

Origin and present State of Villa Rica. — Account of 
the Mint. Visit to the City of Mariana. Ex- 
cursion to the Fazendas of Barro and Castro, 
belonging to His Excellency the Conde de Lin- 
hares. . . . ..... 243 

CHAPTER XII. 

Journey from Villa Rica to Tejuco, the Capital of the 
Diamond District. 287 



CHAPTER XIII. 

Visit to the Diamond Works on the River Jiqnitinhonha. 
General Description of the Works. Mode of Wash- 
ing. Return to Tejuco. Visit to the Treasury 

Excursion to Rio Par do Miscellaneous Re- 
marks. . . . . . . .311 



: CHAPTER XIV. 

Some Account of the Districts of Minas Novas and 
Paracatu. — Of the large Diamond found in the 
River Abaite 337 



X 



CONTENTS. 



CHAPTER XV. 

Observations on Tejuco and Cerro do Frio. . . 349 

CHAPTER XVI. 

General View of Minas Geraes. . . . 876 

CHAPTER XVII. 

Brief Notices on the Capitanias of Bahia, Pernambuco, 
Seara, Maranham, Para, and Goyaz. . • 391 

CHAPTER XVI II. 

Geographical Description of the Capitania of Matto 
Grosso. 407 

CHAPTER XIX. 
Account of the Capitania of Rio Grande. . . 442 

CHAPTER XX. 

General Observations on the Trade from England to 
Brazil. . . ... . .450 

Appendix. . . • • . • • • 473 

Index. 487 



DESCRIPTION OF THE PLATES, 





- WITH 






DIRECTIONS TO THE BINDER. 




1. 




the Title 


2. 




Page 32 


3. 






4. 






5. 


Topaz Mine (described p. 232) and Diamond-washing • • 




6, 







* Note. Of the objects in the lower compartment of this plate, the Pine is 
mentioned at p. 8i ; the Aloe at p. 130 ; the Cara is described at p. 97, and the 
Mandioca at p. 101. 



TRAVELS, 

8$c. 8$c. fyc. 



CHAPTER I. 

Voyage to Cadiz and thence to the Rio de la Plata. 
Adventures at Monte Video — Character of the 

Inlwbitants Trade Climate Geological 

Remarks Recent Changes Monte Video un- 
der the Portuguese. — Agriculture and Trade at 
the Rio de la Plata. 

IN the year 1804, 1 was induced to undertake a 
voyage of commercial experiment, on a limited 
scale, to the Rio de la Plata. On my arrival at 
Monte Video, the ship and cargo were seized ; I 
was thrown into prison, and afterwards sent into 
the interior, where I was detained until the taking 
of that place by the British troops under Sir 
Samuel Auchmuty. I afterwards obtained leave 
to accompany the army under General White- 
locke, which was sent against Buenos Ayres, and 
I rendered such services to the expedition, as my 
two years' residence in the country enabled me 
to perform. At the termination of that expedi- 
tion, I went to Rio de Janeiro. A letter of in- 

B 



2 ADVENTURES AT MONTE VIDEO. 

troduction to the Viceroy of Brazil, which was 
given me by the Portugueze Minister at Lon- 
don, gained me the notice and protection of his 
brother, the Cond£ de Linhares, who had then 
just arrived with the rest of the Court, and who 
recommended me to the Prince Regent, as a per- 
son devoted to mineralogical pursuits, and de- 
sirous of exploring the ample field for investiga- 
tion which his rich and extensive territories pre- 
sented. His Royal Highness was graciously 
pleased to further my views, not only by granting 
me letters to the public functionaries of the va- 
rious places I wished to visit, but by ordering an 
escort of soldiers, and every other necessary pro- 
vision for performing the journey. I had the 
more reason to be grateful for this munificent 
patronage, because I knew that a decree existed, 
prohibiting all foreigners from travelling in the 
interior of Brazil, and that no other Englishman 
had ever begun such an undertaking with those 
indispensible requisites to its success, the permis- 
sion and sanction of the Government. 

Observations, made, in the course of these Tra- 
vels, on the country and its inhabitants, constitute 
the main part of the volume now offered to the 
public. Whatever be their faults or their merits, 
they relate to a subject at present extremely in- 
teresting, both in a political and a commercial 
point of view ; they profess to develope the phy- 
sical resources of a colony, which, through recent 
changes, is likely to become an empire ; and in 



ADVENTURES AT MONTE VIDEO. 3 

part, to portray the character of a nation which 
is now the most ancient, and has ever been the 
most faithful, ally of Great Britain. 

As the recital of a voyage is proverbially te- 
dious and superfluous, I shall forbear to trouble 
the reader with any detail of mine, and shall 
merely state, that, after encountering many diffi- 
culties at Cadiz, in consequence of the rupture 
with Spain, I sailed for the Plata, and having 
narrowly escaped shipwreck from a tremendous 
storm near the mouth of that river, entered the 
harbour of Monte Video. 

The hardships I experienced in reaching this 
ill-fated port, were a fit prelude to the misfor- 
tunes that awaited me there. We were bound 
for Buenos Ayres, but my captain, who in London 
and at Cadiz had assured me that he had the ex- 
perience of a pilot in the Rio de la Plata, proved 
totally ignorant of its navigation, and urged this 
circumstance as his reason for putting into Monte 
Video. Happy should I have been, if this had 
been the only instance of his ignorance ; he gave 
an ill-judged and blundering report of me to the 
governor, and the sailors affirmed that I was an 
Englishman, declaring at the same time that we had 
passed an English squadron under Spanish colors. 
This statement was enough to whet the avarice 
of the governor, who, notwithstanding I had 
served the colony, in bringing a cargo which was 
then much wanted, and every article of which had 
paid legal duty in Cadiz, ordered me to be thrown 



4 ADVENTURES AT MONTE VIDEO. 

into prison. I was placed in close confinement 
on board a wretched sloop of war; and though 
my health was much impaired in consequence of 
exertion during the voyage, I was denied every 
comfort, except such indulgences, as the officers, 
who lived on shore, could at times clandestinely 
allow. Unprovided with letters of recommenda- 
tion to any person in the town, and destitute of 
the means of making myself known, I had the 
mortification to see the property I had brought 
with me seized, and my papers taken away to 
be searched and examined. I was enjoined to 
make declarations, and to give evidence against 
myself, to men whose sole wish was to find a pre- 
text for criminating me. After three or four 
examinations, it was found that I had sailed from 
Cadiz with a cargo of goods, marked, manifested, 
and duly registered, as Spanish ;" nor could any 
circumstance be discovered as a ground of accusa- 
tion against me, but the strong suspicion that I 
was an Englishman, and on that account could 
not be too harshly treated. I had no lenity to 
expect from the governor, nor indeed from any of 
his advisers, who were, for the most part, men of 
the lowest order, refugees from Old Spain in con- 
sequence of criminal prosecutions. The rest of 
his associates were the captains and officers of two 
Spanish privateers, all Frenchmen, whose natural 
prejudices, no doubt, contributed to foment his 
antipathy against me. My sole reliance was on 
the consignee of the cargo, who at length arrived 



ADVENTURES AT MONTE VIDEO. % 

from Buenos Ayres ; but, instead of clearing up 
the affair, he joined my persecutors, knowing that 
if he gave security he should have the cargo deli- 
vered to him. This favorable opportunity he 
failed not to embrace ; he sold the property, and 
withheld the proceeds, under the pretext, that lie 
could not pay them over to me while I remained 
a prisoner. This conduct to one who had de- 
pended on him for support, and who relied on his 
continually delusive promises of assistance, proved 
him to be one of those mean and spiritless beings 
whose station in society is mid-way between the 
simpleton and the knave. 

My confinement would probably have been long, 
but for the good services of a Limenian, who at- 
tended me during my illness in Cadiz, and who 
had come over in the vessel with me. He was 
the only person I was permitted to see ; and he 
interested himself so much in my behalf, that an 
old gentlewoman, with whom he had formed an 
acquaintance, determined, on hearing my story, 
to procure my liberation, and never rested until 
she had procured two bondsmen to answer for my 
appearance when called for, 

The treatment I experienced, while in prison, 
was one of the many instances of oppression which 
disgraced the administration of the governor, Pas- 
qual Ruiz Huidobro. It is well known that his 
political conduct was entirely subservient to the 
interests of the French, and that he lost no op-* 
portunity of evincing his attachment to their cause. 



6 ADVENTURES AT MONTE VIDEO. 

As a further proof of this, I may state, that he 
caused all the captured English seamen to be 
confined in the prison, and, although its spa- 
cious court was doubly grated and guarded, he 
debarred them the use of it, and ordered them to 
be shut up, night and day, in a small room, the 
door of which was never opened except when 
victuals were given them, Aware of his seve- 
rity, and knowing that I was the only pri- 
soner at large, I was very circumspect, and strove 
to guard my conduct and discourse against art- 
ful misconstruction; but I had the misfortune 
to incur his displeasure at a moment when 
I least suspected it, by a very trivial, and cer- 
tainly unintentional offence. Some written pa- 
pers ha'*, been stuck up in various parts of the 
town, by order of Government, inviting foreign 
seamen to enter the service. Returning home at 
midnight from a visit, I observed one of these 
placards ; the rain, which was pouring very fast, 
had partly detached it from the wall, and it was 
blown to and fro by the wind. Curious to exa- 
mine the contents of a paper that had attracted 
the attention of many persons in the course of the 
day, I took it down and carried it home with me ; 
this was observed by an old Spaniard of the name 
of Dias, who gloried much in having it in his 
power to injure me, though a perfect stranger to 
him, and unconscious of having done any thing to 
excite his malice. At the instance of this man 
an order was issued by the governor for my 



ADVENTURES AT MONTE VIDEO. 7 

arrest ; I was roused from my bed by the officers, 
and again hurried to prison. What charges were 
brought against me I could learn only by report ; 
they were vague and indefinite, and no opportu- 
nity of answering them was allowed me. After a 
close confinement of six weeks, during which 
period my case was laid before the Viceroy of 
Buenos Ayres, I was again suffered to be at large, 
on payment of a fee of three hundred dollars. It 
was to the humane exertions of my advocate, 
seconded by those of the Limenian and the lady 
before-mentioned, that I owed this mitigation of 
my captivity, and I gratefully acknowledge that 
they made every provision in their power to ren- 
der my situation comfortable. 

During my stay at Monte Video another ad- 
venture befel me, which had well nigh cost me my 
life ; I am induced to relate it, by reason of the 
insight it gives into the character of a certain class 
of the people. I had gone on a shooting excur- 
sion to the promontory opposite Monte Video, 
with my much-valued friend Captain Collet, owner 
of two or three large American ships, and M. 
Godefroy, a merchant, resident in the town. After 
some hours' sport we met a party of four Spa- 
niards, among whom were Mr. Ortiga, the con- 
signee of Captain Collet, and a person called Ma- 
nuel d'lago. Our friend M. Godefroy had some 
conversation with them at a short distance from 
us, and on his return gave us to understand, that 
D'lago had said it would not cost him above five 



8 ADVENTURES AT MONTE VIDEO. 

hundred dollars to send a pair of bullets through 
me, and that had I been alone he would not have 
scrupled to do it. For this blood-thirsty insinua- 
tion I was at a loss to conjecture any motive, nor 
knew I the man, except by report, which desig- 
nated him as a captain of militia, extremely rigor- 
ous in his treatment of the unfortunate English, 
whenever his turn to mount guard at the prison 
subjected them to his authority. 

We pursued our diversion; he and his party 
meanwhile arrived at the Signal-house, about three 
miles above us, where they took refreshment. 
Some space of time afterward we observed a 
horse-soldier ride down towards us, who on ap-* 
proaching eyed us with a look of great suspicion. 
I had some little talk with him, having frequently 
seen him there before. He returned directly to 
the Guard-house, and an hour afterwards five 
Mandengues, or horse-soldiers, sallied from the 
place at full speed, and, surrounding us, demanded 
our arms at the peril of our lives. Each of us 
obeyed, by surrendering his fowling-piece, M. Go- 
defroy at the same time enquiring the cause of 
this extraordinary treatment; but they ordered 
him to be silent, and to march on along with 
us, or they would tie him on horse-back. We 
were conducted to the Guard-house, and deli- 
vered (the officer being absent) to the corporal 
on guard, a fiery old Spaniard, who ordered us 
into an inner room, and placed two centinels at 
the door. The fellow was so stifled by passion, 



ADVENTURES AT MONTE VIDEO. 9 

that we could not get an answer from him; at 
every moment he was drawing a long sabre which 
hung at his side, and venting his fury in the most 
abusive language. After a full half-hour of ex- 
postulation on our part, and menace on his, M. 
Godefroy obtained a hearing from him, and, de- 
claring he was a merchant, married and actually 
settled in Monte Video, begged to know by what 
authority and under what pretext he was impri- 
soned. The corporal, on learning this, sent a 
soldier to the officer on guard, and while waiting 
his return, related that D'lago had described us 
as Englishmen belonging to a privateer, who had 
landed with an intention to blow up the powder- 
magazines, kill bullocks, and plunder the natives. 
It was evident from his manner that he was very 
willing to believe this account, and that by treat- 
ing us with severity he hoped to display his zeal 
for the service, and obtain promotion. M. Gode- 
froy's testimony being at length attended to, an- 
other soldier was dispatched to D'lago's party, 
who were not yet embarked, with notice that one 
of us affirmed himself to be a resident in Monte 
Video. This they did not contradict, but per- 
sisted in their accusations of the rest of our party ; 
Mr. Ortiga denied any knowledge of Captain Col- 
let, probably imagining that, in case of our con- 
viction, he should benefit by the cargoes which 
the latter had consigned to him; and for me, 
whom they denounced as a spy, no punishment in 
their opinion could be too ignominious. On the 



10 ADVENTURES AT MONTE VIDEO. 

return of the soldier, the corporal thought proper 
to release M. Godefroy, who took our hoat to 
cross the port to Monte Video, with the intention 
of procuring an order for our liberation ; but they 
had scarcely sailed, when a gust of wind arose, and 
as he and two boys he had with him could not 
manage the sails, they were nearly overset, and 
after considerable danger were picked up by a 
ship in the road. Meanwhile Captain Collet and 
I remained in strict custody, and at every syllable 
of complaint we uttered, the corporal brandished 
his sabre over our heads, roared out for the guard, 
and vociferated the most opprobrious language 
against the English. Thus threatened at every 
moment with assassination, we withdrew into a 
corner of the room, and quietly waited until the 
officer on guard arrived, when we were conducted 
in great form, between two men with drawn 
swords, into the room where he sat to receive us. 
Nothing could exceed my joyful surprise at re- 
cognizing in the officer an excellent and worthy 
friend, whom I had often visited at his farm, 
and who had given me repeated proofs of his 
liberal disposition and intelligent mind. His sur- 
prize exceeded mine ; for instead of plunderers 
or spies, such as report had described us, he 
found an American merchant and a prisoner at 
large under bail. He was deeply grieved and 
ashamed at the treatment we had met with, li- 
berated us immediately, mounted us on his own 
horses, and appointed a trusty person to attend 



ADVENTURES AT MONTE VIDEO. 11 

us to Monte Video, where we arrived at eight in 
the evening. The disappointment of the corporal 
appeared as deep as his rage had been violent; 
and the recollection of his conduct operated on us 
as a warning against persons of his class, who 
rarely see an opportunity of doing mischief to a 
stranger, without a strong inclination to avail 
themselves of it. 

During the time I was at large, I had leisure to 
acquire some knowledge of Monte Yideo. It is a 
tolerably well-built town, standing on a gentle 
elevation at the extremity of a small peninsula, 
and is walled entirely round. Its population 
amounts to between 15,000 and 20,000 souls. 
The harbour, though shoal, and quite open to the 
pamperos, or south-west gales, is the best in the 
Rio de la Plata ; it has a very soft bottom of deep 
mud. When the wind continues for some time at 
north-east, ships drawing twelve feet water are 
frequently a-ground for several days, so that the 
harbour cannot be called a good one for vessels 
above three hundred or four hundred tons. 

There are but few capital buildings ; the town 
in general consists of houses of one story, paved 
with bricks, and provided with very poor con- 
venience. In the square is a cathedral, very 
handsome, but awkwardly situated; opposite to 
it, is an edifice divided into a town-house, or ca- 
bildo, and a prison. The streets, having no pave- 
ment, are always either clouded with dust or 
loaded with mud, as the weather happens to be 



12 CHARACTER OF THE INHABITANTS. 

dry or wet. In seasons of drought the want of 
conduits for water is a serious inconvenience, the 
well, which principally supplies the town, being 
two miles distant. 

Provisions here are cheap and in great abund- 
ance. Beef in particular is very plentiful, and, 
though rarely fat or fine, makes excellent soup. 
The best parts of the meat may, indeed, be called 
tolerable, but they are by no means tender. The 
pork is not eatable. Such is the profusion of 
flesh-meat, that the vicinity for two miles round, 
and even the purlieus of the town itself, present 
filthy spectacles of bones and raw flesh at every 
step, which feed immense flocks of sea-gulls, and 
in summer breed myriads of flies, to the great an- 
noyance of the inhabitants, who are obliged at 
table to have a servant or two continually em- 
ployed in fanning the dishes with feathers, to 
drive away those troublesome intruders. 

Of the character of the inhabitants of Monte 
Video, I am perhaps not qualified to speak im- 
partially, having been treated with unmerited 
harshness, deprived of my property, and repeat- 
edly persecuted on the most groundless suspicion. 
These abuses, however, are solely chargeable on 
the governor and on the persons immediately un- 
der his influence ; and I am bound in fairness to 
avow, that I did not perceive any disposition in 
the generality of the people to injure or oppress 
me. From individuals in the town I received all 
the assistance which disinterested benevolence- 



TRADE. 



13 



could afford to a person in my critical situation ; 
and were I, from the impulse of gratitude, to judge 
of the whole by a part, I should say, that the in- 
habitants of Monte Video, particularly the Creo- 
lians, are humane and well-disposed, when not 
actuated by political or religious prejudices. 
Their habits of life are much the same with those 
of their brethren in Old Spain, and seem to pro- 
ceed from the same remarkable union of two op- 
posite but not incompatible qualities, indolence 
and temperance. The ladies are generally affable 
and polite, extremely fond of dress, and very 
neat and cleanly in their persons. They adopt 
the English costume at home, but go abroad 
usually in black, and always covered with a large 
veil or mantle. At mass they invariably appear 
in black silk, bordered with deep fringes. They 
delight in conversation, for which their vivacity 
eminently qualifies them, and they are very cour- 
teous to strangers. 

The chief trade of Monte Video consists in 
hides, tallow, and dried beef ; the two former of 
these articles are exported to Europe, and the 
latter is sent to the West Indies, especially to the 
Havannah. Coarse copper from Chili, in square 
cakes, is sometimes shipped here, as well as an 
herb called Mate from Paraguay, the infusion of 
which is as common a beverage in these parts as 
tea is in England. 

Sugar, coffee, and sweetmeats, are supplied from 
Rio de Janeiro and other parts of the Brazilian 



14 



TRADE. 



coasts by small traders. Some articles of jewel- 
lery are also brought from thence, and the returns 
are made in dollars, hides, and tallow, which are 
forwarded generally to Europe. 

The inhabitants were by no means opulent be- 
fore the English took the garrison, but through 
the misfortunes of the latter at Buenos Ayres, 
and the losses of our commercial adventurers by 
ill-judged and imprudent speculations, they were 
considerably enriched. The great prospects in- 
dulged in England, before the expedition to the 
Plata, of immense profits by trade to that river, 
have generally ended in ruin ; very few, indeed, 
of the speculators have escaped without consider- 
able loss. Property, once litigated, might be con- 
sidered in a fair way for confiscation ; and in case 
of its having been deposited until certain questions 
were decided, restitution was generally obtained 
at the loss of one half. It frequently happened 
that goods detained in the Custom-houses, or 
lodged in private stores in the river, were opened, 
and large quantities stolen. The party on whom 
suspicion seemed most reasonably to fall was the 
consignee, who, even with a few cargoes, was ge- 
nerally observed to get rich very rapidly. Not 
contented with the profits accruing from his com- 
mission, he seldom scrupled to take every ad- 
vantage which possession of the property afforded 
him, to further his own interests at the expence of 
his correspondent. The dread of a legal process 
could be but a slight check upon him, for in the 



GEOLOGICAL REMARKS. 



15 



Spanish courts of justice, as well as in others, 
a native and a stranger are seldom upon equal 
terms. Other circumstances have occurred to 
enrich the inhabitants of Monte Video. It is a 
fact, which I afterwards ascertained, that the 
English exported thither, goods to the amount of 
a million and a half sterling, a small portion of 
which, on the restoration of the place to the 
Spaniards, was re-shipped for the Cape of Good 
Hope and the West Indies ; the remainder was 
for the most part sacrificed at whatever price the 
Spaniards chose to give. As their own produce 
advanced in proportion as our's lowered in price, 
those among them who speculated gained con- 
siderably. The holders of English goods sold their 
stock at upwards of fifty per cent, profit imme- 
diately after the evacuation of the place. 

The climate of Monte Video is humid. The 
weather, in the winter months (June, July, and 
August), is at times boisterous, and the air in that 
season is generally keen and piercing. In summer 
the serenity of the atmosphere is frequently in- 
terrupted by tremendous thunder-storms, preceded 
by dreadful lightning, which frequently damages 
the shipping, and followed by heavy rain, which 
sometimes destroys the harvest. The heat is 
troublesome, and is rendered more so to strangers 
by the swarms of mosquitoes, which it engenders in 
such numbers that they infest every apartment. 

The town stands on a basis of granite, the feld- 
spar of which is for the most part of an opaque 



16 



GEOLOGICAL REMARKS. 



milk-white color, in a decomposing state; in 
some places it is found of a flesh-red color and 
crystallized. The mica is generally large and 
foliated, in many places imperfectly crystallized. 
It is obvious that the excessive quantity of mud 
in the harbour and throughout the banks of the 
river cannot have been formed from this stratum. 
The high mount on the opposite side of the bay, 
which is crowned with a Light-house, and gives 
name to the town, is principally composed of clay- 
slate, in laminae perpendicular to the horizon. 
This substance appears much like basalt in tex- 
ture, but its fracture is less conchoidal; it de- 
composes into an imperfect species of wacke, and 
ultimately into ferruginous clay, from beds of 
which water is observed to flow in various parts 
of the mountain. 

The vicinity of Monte Video is agreeably di- 
versified with low gently sloping hills, and long 
valleys watered by beautiful rivulets ; but the 
prospects they afford are rarely enlivened by 
traces of cultivation; few enclosures are seen ex- 
cept the gardens of the principal merchants. The 
same defect appears in a north-east direction from 
the town, where similar varieties of hill, valley, 
and water prevail, and seem to want only the 
embellishment of sylvan scenery to complete 
the landscape. Some wood, indeed, grows on 
the margin of the Riachuelo, which is used for 
the building of hovels and for fuel. There is a 
pleasant stream about ten leagues from Monte 



RECENT CHANGES. 



17 



Video, called the Louza, the banks of which 
seem to invite the labor of the planter, and would 
certainly produce abundance of timber *. It is to 
be remarked that the almost entire want of this 
article here, occasions great inconvenience and 
expense : wood for mechanical purposes is ex- 
tremely scarce, and planks are so dear that hardly 
one house with a boarded floor is to be found. 

In this vicinity the farms are of great extent ; 
few are so small as six miles in length, by a league 
ii width. Such is the scarcity of wood, that the 
land-marks, when not already designated by nature 
in a chain of hills, a rivulet, or a valley, are made 
by ranges of stones of a peculiar form. The 
quintets (or farms owned by gentlemen), with the 
country houses built upon them, as rural re- 
treats for their proprietors, resident in Monte 
Video, were extremely pleasant and agreeable; 
the gardens were full of fine flowers and fruits, 
and every thing about these establishments in- 
dicated so much peace, harmony, and good neigh- 
bourhood, as to make an impression on the mind 
of a stranger equally pleasing and indelible. But 
the scene, alas ! has been changed through the in- 
testine discords produced by a revolutionary war ; 
and the colony has been reduced from a state of 
happiness to one of distress and wretchedness. 
The inhabitants of the interior, having been in- 

* Here I found mint, caraway, balm, wormwood, and many other 
aromatic herbs, growing wild in the greatest luxuriance. The stratum 
of vegetable earth was at least two yards thick. 
C 



18 



MONTE VIDEO 



stigated to plunder each other until nothing re- 
mained, ranged themselves under the banners of 
the predatory chieftain Artigas, and formed a 
desperate banditti, who robbed and frequently 
murdered all they met ; drove the peaceable in- 
habitants from their farms, plundered their houses, 
took away their cattle, reduced the rich to poverty, 
and the poor to wretchedness, almost so as to deso- 
late this once florishirig colony. A man, who 
but a few months before possessed 100,000 head 
of cattle, was driven from his estate, and obliged 
to purchase, at the price of one shilling per pound, 
the meat which he had formerly left in the 
slaughter-house, having killed his beasts merely 
for their hides; so that the necessaries of life 
which were once to be procured almost gratui- 
tously, became extravagantly dear ; and the horrors 
of approaching famine were superadded to those 
of anarchy and spoliation. 

Reverting to the former order of things, I 
could name more than fifty individuals of Monte 
Video, whose estates were from twenty to fifty 
miles in length, by ten or twenty in breadth, 
with cattle in such numbers as are almost in- 
credible. An estate of this kind, consisting 
of a varied extent of hill, plain, and valley, is 
called &fazenda, as distinguished from the quinta, 
which bears a closer resemblance to the English 
farm, being a portion of land, generally selected 
near the house, for the culture of wheat, beans, 
Indian corn, melons, fruit trees, &c. 



UffDER THE PORTUGUESE. 



19 



The farmhouse is almost destitute of furniture; 
the couch consists of a raw hide, stretched and 
suspended, on which is placed a flock hed; 
strangers most commonly sleep on a mat, or dried 
hide, spread upon the ground. 

At a small distance from Monte Video, herds of 
deer, and flocks of ostriches are to be met with ; 
the eagle is often seen, and sometimes the tiger. 
Soon after the time when the troops of Artigas drove 
the cattle from the mountain opposite, two tigers 
swam across the bay, penetrated at night into the 
town, and killed two or three of the inhabitants 
ere they were attacked and destroyed. They were 
supposed to have been driven by hunger in search 
of food. 

The country which was formerly so peaceable 
and so safe, that a traveller might go to almost 
any distance, and meet with nothing but hospita- 
lity, has been latterly so infested with banditti, that 
to wander a mile or two from the town exposes a 
man to the danger of being robbed and murdered; 
so that while anarchy and confusion prevail with- 
in, there is nothing but plunder and destruction 
without the walls of Monte Video. It has how- 
ever fallen into the possession of the Portugueze, 
who cannot be dislodged from so strong a fortress 
by any force which their neighbours are able to 
bring against them. Indeed, the Potuguese, avail- 
ing themselves of the advantages afforded by 
the disorganized state of Buenos Ayres, will, no 
doubt, incorporate the northern part of the Plata 



20 



AGRICULTURE AND TRADE 



with the captaincy of Rio Grande, and thus ex- 
tend to that distracted country the blessings of 
their own mild and beneficent government. Ar- 
tigas being at length taken prisoner, public con- 
fidence will be restored in Monte Video, and the 
reign of peace and security be there re-established. 

The operation of ploughing, consists here of little 
more than forming a small furrow, by running a 
sharp pointed stick through the soil. There are 
no dairy farms, and scarcely is any butter or cheese 
made. Mining is unknown ; and little notice is 
taken of the small quantity of lead ore which ap- 
pears in limestone at Maldonado. 

An estate, however large, seldom contains more 
than from ten to twenty men, who are employed 
in domesticating cattle ; and scarcely a woman is to 
be seen, except the domestic negresses. Sheep are 
kept solely for their wool, and pigs for their fat, an 
article much in request for culinary preparations. 
The usual mode of travelling is on horseback, and 
there are very few carriages in Monte Video. 

The breeding of horses is less attended to than 
that of cattle, as their hides sell at an inferior 
price. Herds of 500 or 1000 horses are not often 
seen in this district, though those of oxen some- 
times amount to ten times the latter number. 
Cows are but seldom domesticated, and then very 
few, and it is by mere stratagem in managing the 
calf that any milk- can be procured. Every kind 
of handicraft trade is ill conducted. Though the 
Monte Videans have hides, they procure their 



OF THE RIO DE LA PLATA. 



21 



leather from Europe, as that which they make 
themselves is comparatively worthless. Their 
carpenters and other artisans are bad workmen; 
but I am told their barbers are men of superior 
skill in their calling, and this distinction may, 
perhaps, be attributed to the great beards of the 
Spaniards ; the men of Paraguay having a stinted 
portion of that natural ornament. The silver- 
smiths are of so inferior a stamp, that they might 
with greater propriety be called coppersmiths. 
The common people excel most in catching cattle, 
either with the noose, or the balls. 

In the neighbourhood of Buenos Ayres and 
Monte Video, wheat alone is grown. It is stored, 
until wanted, in hides; and when there is a great 
demand for grain in Brazil, it is sometimes ex- 
ported to Hio de Janeiro. But of late years the 
inhabitants of the provinces of La Plata have paid 
less attention than ever to this branch of agricul- 
ture ; and the supplies to Brazil have been chiefly 
derived from the Cape of Good Hope. 



22 



CHAP, II. 

Journey to Barriga Negra Geology of tlw 

Country — Limestone, and mode qf burning it. — 

Horned Cattle. Peons. Horses Defective 

State of Agriculture Manners of the Inhabi- 
tants — Dress — Wild Animals Monte Video 

taken by the British My return thither. 

ON the arrival of General Beresford's expedition 
in the river, I was again ordered into close con- 
finement, but my advocate obtained permission 
for me to be sent into the interior, under a stipu- 
lation not to approach within forty leagues of 
Monte Video. This removal seemed for the mo- 
ment to shut out all hope of obtaining my liberty, 
and at the same time threatened to expose me to 
fresh dangers, but I derived some consolation 
from the generous offers of shelter and protection 
made to me by a worthy Spaniard named Don 
Juan Martinez, whose establishment, not more 
than fifty leagues from the lake of Meni, was si- 
tuated at the full distance prescribed in the orders 
respecting me. A retreat so remote and unfre- 
quented offered few amusements to relieve the 
tediousness of banishment, but it at least afforded 
the prospect of a wider range for mineralogical 
observation, and of ampler leisure to attend to this 
my favorite pursuit. 



JOURNEY TO BARRIGA NEGRA. 23 

In the course of the journey thither, my atten- 
tion was principally engaged by the wild and so- 
litary aspect of the country. About twenty-five 
leagues north-east from Monte Video, I observed 
an irregular ridge of granite mountains, in a direc- 
tion nearly north and south, and the country from 
this distance gradually assumes a rugged appear- 
ance. Mica is very common upon the road, and 
in some places quartz; on one hill I gathered 
several detached crystals of the latter substance. 
The ravines of these stony wilds and the wooded 
margins of the rivers afford shelter to many fero- 
cious animals, such as jaguars, (here called tigers), 
lions, and ounces. Here are also great numbers 
of wild dogs which breed in the rocks, and at 
times make great havoc among the young cattle. 
The farms in this district, for the most part, in- 
clude tracts of land from twenty to thirty miles 
in length by half that extent in breadth, watered by 
pleasing streams. Vast herds of cattle are bred 
upon them; it is calculated that each square 
league sustains one thousand five hundred or two 
thousand head. 

At the distance of about forty leagues from 
Monte Video, in the direction above mentioned, 
the range of hills gradually lessens and disap- 
pears ; the country opens finely on the left, and is 
intersected by numerous rivulets. After crossing 
several of these we arrived at the head of a little, 
brook called Polancos, which a few miles below, 
assumes the name of Barriga Negra. It there re- 



24 GEOLOGY OF THE COUNTRY. 

ceives several small streams, and in the course of 
ten leagues is augmented by the confluence of 
some others ; becoming thus a considerable river, 
about as large as the Trent at Gainsborough, it is 
denominated Godoy, but, on passing into the 
Portugueze territories, it changes its name to that 
of Sebollati, and flows into the Lagun Meni. 
Near the junction of two rivulets that form the 
Barriga Negra, stands the great lime-kiln of my 
friend, in whose house I took up my residence, and 
was received with that kindness and sincere hospita- 
lity which in an instant dispelled every doubt from 
my mind, and excited in me sentiments of grati- 
tude that were every day more deeply impressed 
in my heart. 

Having become thoroughly domesticated in my 
new abode, I began to make excursions into the 
surrounding district and the parts beyond it. 
The country in general may be termed stony and 
mountainous, though its inequalities do not ex- 
ceed those of Derbyshire. No traces of either 
volcanic or alluvial matter are to be found ; the 
solid rock frequently appears on the surface, and 
in many places projects in masses of various sizes. 
The mountains and rocks are of granite ; no veins 
of metallic substance have hitherto been dis- 
covered, but fine red and yellow jasper, chalcedony, 
and quartz, are not unfrequently found loose on 
the surface. Some fossils of the asbestos kind, and 
some very poor oxides of iron are likewise to be 
met with occasionally. The bases of many of the 



GEOLOGY OF THE COUNTRY. 25 

conical mountains are overlaid with limestone of 
a dull blue color ; I found in this substance many 
capillary veins of calcareous-spar, and sometimes 
crystals of pyrites. In one part of the vicinity there 
is a plain about half a mile square, on the surface of 
which are found large quantities of white stone in 
nodules ; it is of a very close texture and proves to 
be gypsum without water (Anhydrite). The sum- 
mits of these mountains are no where calcareous, 
excepting those of one ridge, the singular appear- 
ance of which induced me to trace it as far as was 
practicable. The lime-stone on these summits is 
of a close compact kind, united to transparent 
quartz in a tabular form, standing, as it were, in 
laminae perpendicular to the horizon, and thus 
presenting to the view a number of upright slabs, 
somewhat similar to the grave-stones in a country 
church-yard. This singular ridge apparently com- 
mences at a mountain of very unusual form, and, 
extending about two miles, in which it crosses two 
or three valleys, and terminates in a ravine of con- 
siderable depth. No vestige of calcareous crys- 
tallization appeared in this lime-stone # . It is 
singular to remark, that the cavities formed by the 
laminae afford refuge for reptiles, particularly rat- 
tle-snakes ; the person employed by Mr. Martinez 
in getting the stone, destroyed upwards of twenty- 

* At a small town called Minas, ten leagues from Maldonado, I 
was informed that there w as a lead mine in lime-stone. A piece of 
that substance was sent to me; it was flesh-colored, granular, and 
close in texture. 



26 LIMESTONE, AND MODE OF BURNING IT. 

seven serpents of that species in the course of a 
few weeks. 

The lime-stone is loosened by the wedge and 
lever, and brought away in large slabs to the 
kilns, where it is broken into fragments of a con- 
venient size, and burnt with wood. The kilns are 
very capacious, but so badly constructed that the 
process of calcination is very slow and tedious. The 
lime, when slaked, is measured, put into sacks 
made of green hides, and sent in large carts, 
drawn by oxen, principally to Colonia del Sacra- 
mento, Monte Video, and Buenos Ayres. 

Barriga Negra is distant about 160 miles north- 
east from Monte Video, about 120 from Mal- 
donado, and 90 from the town of Minas. The 
country around it is mountainous, well watered, 
and not destitute of wood. The banks of the 
streams are thickly covered with trees, rarely, 
however, of large size, for the creeping plants, in- 
terweaving with the shoots, check their growth 
and form an impenetrable thicket. Here are 
numbers of great breeding estates, many of which 
are stocked with from 60,000 to 200,000 head of 
cattle. These are guarded principally by men 
from Paraguay called Peons, who live in hovels 
built for the purpose at convenient distances. 
Ten thousand head are allotted to four or five 
Peons, whose business it is to collect them every 
morning and evening, and once or twice a month 
to drive them into pens, where they are kept for a 
night. The cattle by this mode of management 



PEONS. 



27 



are soon tamed ; a ferocious or vicious beast I 
never saw among them. Breeding is alone at- 
tended to; neither butter nor cheese is made, and 
milk is scarcely known as an article of food. The 
constant diet of the people, morning, noon, and 
night, is beef, eaten almost always without bread, 
and frequently without salt. This habitual sub- 
sistence on strong food would probably engender 
diseases, were it not corrected by frequently tak- 
ing an infusion of their favorite herb Mate, at all 
times of the day, when inclination calls for it. 

The dwellings of the Peons are in general very 
wretched, the walls being formed by a few upright 
posts interwoven with small branches of trees, 
plastered with mud inside and out, and the roof 
thatched with long grass and rushes. The door 
is also of wicker-work, or, in its stead, a green 
hide stretched on sticks and removable at plea- 
sure. The furniture of these poor hovels consists 
of a few skulls of horses, which are made to serve 
for seats; and of a stretched hide to lie upon. 
The principal if not the sole cooking utensil is a 
spit or rod of iron, stuck in the ground in an 
oblique position, so as to incline over the fire. 
The beef when spitted is left to roast until the 
part next the fire is supposed to be done enough, 
then its position is altered, and the change is 
occasionally repeated, until the whole is cooked. 
The juices of the meat, by this mode of roast- 
ing, help to mend the fire, and indeed the 
people seem to think that they are fit for nothing 
else. The meat, which is naturally poor and 



28 



PEONS. 



coarse, being thus dried to a cake, bears little af- 
finity to the boasted roast beef of England. Fuel, 
in some parts, is so extremely scarce that the fol- 
lowing strange expedient is resorted to for a sup- 
ply. As the mares in this country are kept solely 
for breeding, and are never trained to labor, they 
generally exceed, in a great degree, the due pro- 
portion ; a flock of them is frequently killed, and 
their carcasses soon becoming dry, are used as 
firing, (with the exception of the hides and tails), 
which, when properly prepared, are packed for 
exportation. 

The Peons are chiefly emigrants from Para- 
guay*, and it is a singular fact that, among the 
numbers that are here settled, very few women 

* The people of Paraguay are a more inactive and listless race than 
any I ever met with. They seem to be conscious of no wants beyond 
those of mere animal existence, and these they choose to supply at the 
smallest possible expense of bodily exertion. Their supreme enjoy- 
ment is to remain at home in a state of quietism or rather torpor, 
leaving to the negroes the little agricultural toil that is required. 
They are reserved, slothful, and patient, yet, with all their apathy, 
they are friendly and somewhat courteous to strangers, provided they 
be not required to go much into society or to bear an active part in 
conversation. Commerce is almost unknown among them, and there 
is very little specie in circulation. To a stranger, who has mingled in 
the busy scenes of life, they seem absolutely weary of existence as of a 
burthen. Blest with a fine climate and a land flowing with milk and 
honey, they are unable to appreciate and turn to advantage the boun- 
ties which divine Providence has lavished upon them; and from these 
and other causes the population is very scanty compared with the ex- 
tent of the country. Such is the native land of the Peons of Monte 
Video and Buenos Ayres. The state of society in that remote region is 
deteriorated by the admission of refugees from Europe, who here find 
shelter from justice, and propagate, in safe obscurity and with perfect 
impunity, their vices among a people too much predisposed by indolence 



PEONS. 



29 



are to be found. A person may travel in these 
parts for days together without seeing or hearing 
of a single female in the course of his journey. 
To this circumstance may be attributed the total 
absence of domestic comfort in the dwellings of 
these wretched men, and the gloomy apathy ob- 
servable in their dispositions and habits. It is 
true that the mistress of an estate may occasion- 
ally visit it for a few months, but she is obliged 
during her stay to live in great seclusion, on ac- 
count of the dreadful consequences to be appre- 
hended from being so exposed. 

The dexterous mode in which the Peons catch 
their cattle, by throwing a noose over them, has 
been frequently detailed, but certainly no descrip- 
tion can do full justice to their agility. They 
throw with equal precision and effect, whether at 
full gallop or at rest. Their method of catching 
horses, by means of balls attached to leather thongs, 

for such contaminations, and unfitted by the same failing for receiving 
any tincture of civilization, which a more lively and apprehensive race 
of men might imbibe from foreign settlers, however dissolute in mo- 
rals. The Peons, who migrate southward to seek employment, soon 
acquire a taste for ardent spirits, and thus heighten, sometimes to an 
uncontrolable degree, the ferocity engendered by the habit of tortur- 
ing and killing cattle. They have no strong sense of danger to deter 
them from crime, but, on the contrary, are aware, that on any breach 
of the law they can elude its penalties by galloping three or four hun- 
dred miles into the interior, where their crimes will be unknown, and 
where they can bid defiance to pursuit or detection. 

In some parts of Paraguay timber grows in abundance ; it is cut, 
and floated down the river to Buenos Ay res, not in rafts but in single 
trees. 



30 



HORSES. 



is similar to the former but more unerring ; scarce- 
ly an instance has been known of its failure, ex- 
cept in those frequent trials which are requisite to 
acquire perfect skill in the practice. 

They have a very singular and simple way of 
training mules and horses to draw light carts, 
coaches, &c. No harness is used ; a saddle or pad 
is girted on, and a leather thong is fastened to the 
girth on one side, so that the animal moving for- 
ward, with his body in a rather oblique direction, 
keeps his legs clear of the apparatus which is at- 
tached to him, and draws with a freedom and an 
agility that in a stranger excite great surprise. A 
similar contrivance is used in the catching of cattle. 
The Peon fastens one end of his lazo* to the girth 
of his horse, who soon learns to place himself in 
such an attitude as to draw the ox which his rider 
has caught, and even, should the latter dismount, 
to keep the thong on the stretch. 

The horses in this country are very spirited, 
and perform almost incredible labor. They sel- 
dom work longer than a week at a time, being then 
turned out to pasture for months together. Their 
sole food is grass, and the treatment they en- 
dure from their masters is most harsh and unfeel- 
ing. They are frequently galloped until their 
generous fire is spent, and they drop through ex- 
haustion and fatigue. The make of the bridle is 
alone sufficient to torture the animal, being of the 

* A platted lash, about twenty yards long, with an iron ring at one 
end, through which the other end being passed forms a noose. 



HORSES. 



31 



heavy Spanish fashion. They are never shod. 
The girths of the saddles are of a curious con- 
struction ; they are generally formed of shreds of 
green hide, or of the sinew of the neck ; the mid- 
dle part is twenty inches broad, and each end is ter- 
minated by an iron ring. One of these ends is made 
fast to the saddle by its ring ; to the other side of 
the saddle is attached a third ring and a pliable 
strap, which, being passed through it and the 
girth-ring three or four times, affords the rider 
great purchase, and enables him to gird the saddle 
very tight, which is thus kept so firm in its place 
that a crupper is unnecessary, and indeed is never 
used. 

Trained horses sell her eat from five to seven dol- 
lars each; horned cattle, in good condition, by 
the herd of a thousand, at two dollars a head ; 
mares at three rials (Is. 6d. sterling) each. Sheep are 
very scarce and are never eaten; they are kept by 
some families merely for the sake of their wool, 
which is made into flocks for bedding. It is wor- 
thy of remark, that, in the remote parts of the 
interior, where no settlements have been made, 
the cattle are found of a dark brown color, 
except on a small part of the belly, which is white, 
but when they become domesticated, they produce 
breeds of a lighter color, with hides beautifully 
spotted and variegated. The fine herds bred in 
many parts of this district, have often tempted the 
Portugueze to make predatory incursions ; and the 
country being accessible by fine open passes to 



32 DEFECTIVE STATE OF AGRICULTURE. 

the frontier, as well as to the north side of the 
Plata, these violations of territory have been car- 
ried on to a very serious extent. So frequent 
were they at one period, that it became necessary 
to appoint a military force to parade the bounda- 
ries and to defend the Spanish settlements against 
these inroads. 

In taking a general view of the country, a 
stranger cannot but observe, with regret, that 
while nature has been profuse in her blessings, the 
inhabitants have been neglectful in the improve- 
ment of them. Here is, for instance, abundance 
of excellent clay and plenty of wood on the margin 
of the rivers, yet it is rare to meet with an inclo- 
sure, even for a kitchen garden, much more so 
for a corn-field. They generally choose their 
grounds for tillage by the banks of a rivulet, so as 
to have one side or sometimes two sides bounded 
by it ; the remainder is fenced in the most clumsy 
and bungling manner imaginable. Ploughing is 
performed by the help of two oxen yoked to a 
crooked piece of wood, about four inches in dia- 
meter, and pointed at the end. After the ground 
has been rooted up, the wheat is sown, without 
any previous attempt to clear it from noxious 
seeds. While it grows up, it is never weeded ; so 
that wild oats, poppies, and other pernicious herbs, 
thriving among it in wild luxuriance, obstruct 
the sun's rays and hinder it from ripening kindly. 
Indian corn, beans, melons, &c. are all treated in 
a similar way. The wheat, when ripe, is cut down 



PEOZST CATCHING- CATTLE 




PLOUGHHsTG FOR WHEAT 



OSTRICH NEST 



DEFECTIVE STATE OF AGRICULTURE. 33 

with sickles, and gathered into heads or sheaves. 
A circular pen of from forty to sixty yards in dia- 
meter is then formed with rails and hides ; in the 
centre of this enclosure is placed a quantity of about 
one hundred or two hundred quarters of wheat in 
the straw. The pile is so formed as to have the 
ears on the outside as much as possible. A small 
quantity is pulled down towards the circumference 
of the circle, and a herd of about twenty mares 
is driven in, which, being untamed, are easily 
frightened and made to gallop round. At this 
pace they are kept by means of whips for four or 
five hours, until the corn is trod out of the ears, 
and the straw is completely reduced. Another 
parcel of the sheaves is then pulled down, and a 
fresh herd of mares is let in, and this operation is 
repeated until the whole heap is reduced, and the 
straw is broken as small as chaff. In this state it 
is left until it blows a brisk gale; and then 
the winnowing is performed by emptying baskets 
of the mixed grain and chaff at an elevation of 
eight feet from the ground. While the chaff is 
borne away by the current of air, the grain falls, 
and at the close of the operation, is sewed up in 
green hides. In this state it is sent to Monte 
Video, where it is ground for consumption, or 
exported. It is obvious, that by the above mode 
of separating the grain, a considerable quantity 
must be lost by abrasion, and by mixture with a 
large portion of earth which cannot be blown 
away by the wind. 

D 



34 MANNERS OF THE INHABITANTS. 

The climate and soil are equally favorable for 
the growth of grapes, apples, peaches, and in short 
every species of fruit belonging to the temperate 
zone, but these are known here only as rarities. 
That inestimable root, the potatoe, would thrive 
abundantly, if once introduced ; but, though much 
has been said in recommendation of it, the people 
remain totally averse to this or any other proposal 
for improving their means of subsistence, and 
seem to wish for nothing beyond the bare necessa- 
ries of life. Indeed the state of society among 
them weakens those ties which naturally attach 
men to the soil on which they are accustomed to 
subsist. The Peons, brought from Paraguay in 
their infancy, grow up to the age of manhood in a 
state of servitude, uncheered by domestic comfort ; 
at that period they generally wander, in search of 
employment, toward the coast, where money is 
in greater plenty. There is no specie in cir- 
culation in the interior; their wages are paid 
monthly in notes on Monte Video. The men, 
for the most part, are an honest and harmless 
race, though quite as liable, from the circum- 
stances of their condition, to acquire habits of 
gambling *, as the higher classes of the people, num- 

* Such indeed is their excessive propensity to gambling, that they fre- 
quently carry cards in their pocket, and, when an opportunity occurs, 
form parties, and retire to a convenient place, where one of them spreads 
his poncho or mantle on the ground, in lieu of a table. When the 
loser has parted with his money, he will stake his clothes, so that the 
game generally continues until one of thein goes away almost naked. 



MANNERS OF THE INHABITANTS. 35 



bers of whom fall victims to that seductive vice. 
The various evils hence resulting are multiplied 
by the lax administration of the laws ; even in case 
of murder the criminal has little to fear if he can 
escape to a distance of twenty or thirty leagues ; 
he there lives in obscurity, probably for the re- 
mainder of his life, without ever being brought to 
justice. I know not whether this want of vigil- 
ance in the magistracy be not a temptation for the 
numerous refugees who seek shelter here, such as 
European Spaniards, who have deserted from the 
service or have been banished for their crimes. 
These wretches, loaded with guilt, flee into the 

This bad practice often leads to serious consequences. I once observed 
a party playing in the neighbourhood of a chapel after mass had been 
said, when the clergyman came and kicked away the cards in order to 
put an end to the game. On this, one of the Peons rose up, and re- 
tiring a few paces, thus accosted the intruder : " Father, I will obey 
you as a priest ; but" (laying his hand on his knife) " you must beware 
how you molest our diversion." The clergyman knew the desperate 
character of these men too well to remonstrate, and retired very has- 
tily, not a little chagrined. 

On another occasion a Peon was gambling with a Spanish cor- 
poral in the prison-yard, when a dispute arising, the latter drew his 
sword on his unarmed antagonist, and wounded him so severely in the 
arm, that he was obliged to undergo amputation the day following. 

It is usual for a Peon who has been fortunate at play, to go to Monte 
Video and clothe himself anew in the shop of a slop-seller. While the 
shopman is looking out the articles he calls for, he deliberately places his 
dollars on the counter, in separate piles, assigning each to its destined 
purpose. He then retires to a corner, and attires himself; an unfor- 
tunate comrade invariably attends him, who examines his cast clothes, 
and, if belter than his own, puts them on. After passing a few days in 
idleness, he sets out on his returu home, where he appears in his new 
dress. 



36 DRESS. 

interior, where they seldom fail to find some one 
or other of their countrymen who is willing to 
give them employment, though frequently at the 
peril of his life. By the corrupt example of these 
refugees, the innocent Creole is soon initiated in 
vice, and becomes a prey to all those violent pas* 
sions which are engendered and fostered by habi- 
tual idleness. 

The common dress of the people is such as 
might be expected from their indolence and 
poverty. They generally go without shoes and 
stockings ; indeed as they rarely go on foot, they 
have seldom occasion for shoes. Some of them, 
particularly the Peons, make a kind of boots from 
the raw skins of young horses, which they fre- 
quently kill for this sole purpose. When the ani- 
mal is dead, they cut the skin round the thigh, 
about eighteen inches above the gambrel; having 
stripped it, they stretch and dress it until it loses 
the hair and becomes quite white. The lower 
part, which covered the joint, forms the heel, and 
the extremity is tied or sewed up to cover the 
toes. These boots, when newly finished, are of a 
delicate color, and very generally admired. The 
rest of their apparel consists of a jacket, which is 
universally worn by all ranks, and a shirt and 
drawers made of a coarse cotton cloth brought 
from Brazil. Children run about with no dress 
but their shirts until their fifth or sixth year. 
Their education is very little attended to, and is 
confined to mere rudiments ; a man who is able 



WILD ANIMALS. 37 

to read and write, is considered to have all the 
learning he can desire. 

Among the many natural advantages which this 
district possesses, are the frequent falls in the ri- 
vulets and larger streams, which might be con- 
verted to various mechanical purposes, if the 
population were more numerous and better in- 
structed. Some of these streams, as was before 
stated, join the various branches of the Godoy, 
and flow into the lake Meni ; those on the other 
side the mountains in a northerly direction empty 
themselves principally through the Riachuelo and 
the St. Lucia, into the Plata. 

The want of cultivation in this vast territory 
may be inferred from the numbers and varieties 
of wild animals which breed upon it. Tigers, 
ounces, and lions are common. The former are 
heavy sluggish animals ; their chief prey is the young 
cattle, which they find in such abundance, that 
they rarely attack a man. Hence little danger is 
to be apprehended from them by any person tra- 
velling on horseback # , unless when inadvertently 

* Among the many daring and active feats performed by the Peons, 
one of the most extraordinary of late years, was the capture of a tiger 
by a female of that tribe. She was a mulatto-woman, brought up in 
the vicinity of Barriga Negra. She was accustomed at an early age 
to ride horses, and prided herself in doing offices which belonged to 
the stronger sex, such as catching cattle with the noose, killing them, 
&c. Her form was masculine, and she became so inured to men's 
work, that she was hired as a Peon, and fulfilled that office much to 
the satisfaction of her employers, She was noted for selecting spirited 
horses, and for riding them at fu.ll speed, One day on her return from 



38 



WILD ANIMALS. 



approaching the haunt of a female with young. 
The ounce has the same character, and the lion is 
considered less vicious than either. There is an 
animal of the pig kind, called the pig of the woods, 
( Pecari)* which has an orifice on its back, whence 
it emits a most intolerable stench when closely 
pursued. If on killing the animal, the part be in- 
stantaneously cut out, the flesh affords good eat- 
ing, but should that operation be neglected, even 
for a short period, the taint contaminates the 
whole carcass. The domestic pigs are by no 
means good; they feed so much upon beef, that 
their flesh is very hard and coarse. There is an 
animal of the opossum kind, about the size of a 
rabbit, called a %urilla > the skin of which is streaked 
black and white, and is considered of some value. 
When attacked, it ejects a fetid liquor, which is 
of so pungent a nature, that if it falls on any part of 

labor, as she was passing a rivulet, she observed a large tiger at no 
great distance. Surprised that the animal did not steal away, as is 
generally the case when he sees a person mounted, she drew nearer, 
still keeping her horse's head from him, so as to be ready to gallop off 
if he should make a spring. He was still inattentive and motionless; 
the woman observing this, and thinking he ailed something, after some 
minutes' pause backed her horse until she came within twenty yards 
of him, loosening at the same time her noose from the saddle, which 
she threw most dexterously over his neck, and immediately galloped 
away with him to a considerable distance. Whether maimed or not 
before, she knew he must now be dead; she therefore alighted, flayed 
him, and carried home the skin as a trophy. The animal was above 
the ordinary size, and not smaller than a calf six weeks old. This 
exploit was long the talk of the neighbourhood, and 1 have heard the 
woman herself relate the adventure. 

* Sus Tajassu. — Lin. TajaQu. — Buffon. 



WILD ANIMALS. 



the dress of its pursuers, there is no possibility of 
getting rid of the stench, but by continual expo- 
sure to the weather for some months. The zuriUa 
is very fond of eggs and poultry, and sometimes 
enters a house in quest of its prey ; the inhabit- 
ants immediately hasten out and leave their 
unwelcome visitant in quiet possession, as long as 
she chooses to stay ; well aware that the slightest 
attempt to drive her out, would expose them to 
an ejectment from the premises for ever. Eagles 
both of the grey and blue species, as well as 
other birds of prey, are found in great numbers. 
Here are also parroquets in immense flocks, 
pigeons, great red-legged partridges, small par- 
tridges, wild ducks, and wild turkies. Ostriches 
of a large species are very numerous ; they are so 
fleet and active, that even when well mounted I 
could never get near them but by surprise ; the 
stroke of their wing is said to be inconceivably 
strong. 

Here are considerable herds of small deer, 
which in this fine country w ould afford the sports- 
man excellent diversion; but unfortunately the 
dogs are good for nothing, as there is no atten- 
tion paid to the preservation and improvement 
of the breed. The rivers produce tortoises and 
other amphibious animals, but they are chiefly 
noted for a variety of singularly ugly fish, which 
afford tolerable but by no means good eating. 

During a residence of six months in this re- 
mote district, as a prisoner at large, or in fact as 



40 MONTE VIDEO TAKEN BY THE BRITISH. 

a welcome guest at the house of a most hospitable 
man, my life passed away in an equable tenor, 
uninterrupted by those vicissitudes that elsewhere 
befel me, and therefore a narrative of it is little 
calculated to interest the reader. Rather than 
occupy his attention by relating my various hopes 
and disappointments, as the prospect of liberation 
became more or less favorable, I have chosen to 
present him with the result of some general ob- 
servations on the country, made during the daily 
excursions which I enjoyed through the liberality 
of my friend. The longer I resided in his house, 
the greater was his kindness to me in allowing 
me those indulgences, and the more did he and 
his family strive to render my exile agreeable. 
An event at length occurred which at once 
delighted and distressed me; because while it 
afforded me hopes of immediate deliverance, it de- 
stroyed for a time the harmony which had so long 
subsisted between me and my protector. I allude 
to the taking of Monte Video by the British 
troops under Sir Samuel Auchmuty. 

On hearing of the surrender of the place, J 
solicited Mr. Martinez to liberate me, as I thought 
myself no longer a prisoner. He seemed much 
astonished at this, and gave me to understand 
that I continued a prisoner, because, not being 
actually at Monte Video, I was still in the power 
and under the jurisdiction of the Viceroy of 
Buenos Ayres. This worthy man's mind was so 
distracted by the fall of the town, and by the dis~ 



RETURN TO MONTE VIDEO. 



41 



grace of the Spanish arms, that he secluded him- 
self from society, and avoided all communica- 
tion with me. In these circumstances I was ad- 
vised to attempt my escape, but I felt great re- 
pugnance at the idea of thus wounding the feel- 
ings of a man who had humanely released me 
from confinement, and had ever treated me as 
a brother. Averse to such an act of ingratitude, 
I intreated his amiable wife to intercede for me, 
and to suggest that, on returning to Monte Vi- 
deo, it might be in my power to be of service 
to him. But he rejected the proposal in the 
most vehement manner, and forbade any one to 
talk to him on the subject. I now thought that 
my liberty was unreasonably denied me, and as I 
saw no probability of obtaining it but through my 
own exertions, I determined at all events to make 
the attempt. After deliberating for some days, 
and consulting with two men who had frequently 
mentioned the subject to me, I decided on my 
plan of escape, and gave them six ounces of gold 
to provide horses and every thing necessary. On 
the appointed night, all was in readiness, the 
horses were saddled, and the men waiting to 
escort me. This moment was one of the most 
melancholy in my life ; I reflected with compunc- 
tion, that, while striving to regain my freedom, I 
was apparently abusing the confidence of a man 
of honor, who had done all in his power to merit 
my friendship. Agitated by these emotions, and 
oppressed by a sadness which the thick gloom of 



42 



RETURN TO MONTE VIDEO. 



the night rendered more heavy, I was walking to 
and fro in the neighbourhood, on the spot ap- 
pointed for my guides to meet me, when a voice, 
with which I was familiar, accosted me. The person 
was very near me, but owing to the extreme dark- 
ness I could not see him. He asked me what I 
was doing there. I replied, " only walking about." 
" Don Juan," said he " you are going to escape to 
night " I answered, " indeed I am not." He re- 
plied, " you are ; and the men whom you have 
chosen for your guides are to murder you, to 
seize your money, and to bury you in a ravine 
about a league distant. The man in whom you have 
most confided has a knife concealed in his saddle, 
with which he is to give you the fatal blow." This 
so staggered me, that I was unable, at the mo- 
ment, to make any answer. I felt confident that 
no one knew of my intended departure, except 
the two men and myself. On asking, " how do 
you know this ?" he replied, " I overheard them 
talking of it." He added, " you know they are 
both gamblers, and one of them killed two men 
last year " Ere I had recovered my surprise, so 
as to speak again, the man went away. While 
meditating on the choice of evils, namely, whe- 
ther to run the risk of being murdered and thrown 
into a ravine, or to abandon my design and remain 
a prisoner, one of my hired Peons came to inform 
me that the horses were waiting. I told him I 
had a violent pressure at my stomach and could 
not ride. He treated this very lightly, and urged 



RETURN TO MONTE VIDEO. 



43 



me with great earnestness to mount at all events. 
Considering at this moment that money was of 
little value in comparison with my life and liberty, 
I offered to give him two ounces of gold if he 
would perform a piece of service for me, which I 
would explain to him through my room-window 
at midnight. He still used every argument to 
persuade me immediately to set out, but finding 
that I persisted in alleging my indisposition as an 
excuse, he at length acceded to my proposal. 
Having reached my chamber, I wrote to a magis- 
trate at Monte Video, who, I knew, would, if he 
had survived the assault of the town, send an 
order for my liberation. When I had finished writ- 
ing, the man appeared at the window according to 
agreement ; I gave him the letter, charged him to 
convey it to Monte Video, and presenting him 
with two ounces of gold, promised him another 
ounce if he should bring me an answer. He de- 
parted unknown to any of our good family, and 
on the fifth day following, in the forenoon, re- 
turned, to my inexpressible joy, with a paper 
signed by Don Francisco J uanico, the magistrate 
to whom I had written, stating that I was free, 
and ought immediately to proceed thither. On 
receiving this welcome intelligence, I hastened to 
Mr. Martinez, and joyfully embracing him, gave 
him the paper to read ; after examining its con- 
tents, he observed, that it was nothing official, 
but would avail me as a reasonable pretext for 
going away, to which he cordially acquiesced. 



44 RETURN TO MONTE VIDEO. 

He immediately ordered three Peons and a trusty 
old Creole to accompany me, with twenty-five 
horses, that we might perform the journey with 
greater expedition. The best dinner was pro- 
vided which the time would allow, and while par- 
taking of it I received the sincerest congratula- 
tions on my liberation from my worthy host and 
his amiable lady. I then took an affectionate 
leave of every branch of this good family, express- 
ing my warm acknowledgments of the many obli- 
gations they had conferred on me. Having joined 
my guides, we each mounted a horse, and, at 
three in the afternoon, set off at full speed, driving 
the rest of the cattle before us. My first horse 
bore me forty miles, and I changed him at ten 
o'clock. The night was fine, and after a rapid 
but pleasant journey, we forded the river St. Lu- 
cia and halted at two in the morning, half way on 
the route to Monte Video. At the house, into 
the corral of which our horses were driven for 
the purpose of changing them, I procured a 
slight repast of dried figs, after which we again 
mounted and travelled tolerably fresh until six in 
the morning, when we were again obliged to 
change, having proceeded about one hundred 
English miles. Our horses now began to lose 
their generous spirit, and were much distressed. 
As our progress became slower and our changes 
more frequent, my anxiety increased, because I 
was aware there were Spanish parties scouring 



RETURN TO MONTE VIDEO. 45 

the country about Monte Video, and stopping the 
passage of all provisions from the interior. To 
avoid suspicion, I rode in the dress of a Peon, 
with the lazo coiled up and hung at my saddle. 
At eleven o'clock the heat of the day became op- 
pressive, and our horses flagged exceedingly. To 
add to my distress I had a violent haemorrhage 
from the nose, and could obtain no water to drink 
or wash with, so that, through thirst and the coa- 
gulation of the blood, I was nearly suffocated. 
On arriving within six miles of Monte Video, 
our horses were nearly worn out; but no rest 
could be allowed for either them or the men. At 
noon we reached an English piquet-guard on the 
out-posts; after the usual questions I was con- 
ducted by a soldier to the officer on guard, and hav- 
ing explained some particulars to him, I rode to 
General Lumley's tent, and afterwards into the 
town. 

No language can describe my emotions on be- 
holding an English flag on that tower in which 
I had been so often confined, and, on seeing Eng- 
lish soldiers in possession of a place where I had 
experienced so much injustice and oppression. 
The joy I felt made me forget my fatigue and the 
dangers I had passed through. I rode up to my 
friend's house ; all was barricadoed, and I feared 
the worst might have happened ; but, on advanc- 
ing to the window, I observed one of the ladies, 
who instantly recognized me. All the family 
welcomed me most cordially, and invited me to 



46 POPULATION OF BUENOS AYRES. 

dinner, after which I went, in my Peon's disguise, 
to visit some of my friends. On taking possession 
of Mr. Martinez's house, I found my chests, &c. 
undisturbed, (although the town was taken by 
storm), and in the same condition as when I left 
them on going into the country. 



CHAP. III. 

Expedition against Buenos Ayres Account of 

the Population of the Country, and of the va- 
rious Classes which compose it. 

WHEN the expedition against Buenos Ayres was 
ready to sail, I obtained General Whitelocke's 
permission to go with the army, under the hope of 
recovering the property I had in that city, and 
offered my service to the commissary-general, 
whom I accompanied. As the details of that 
disastrous enterprise have been long before the 
public in an official form, and as my own observa- 
tions on the occasion are of no general interest, 
the reader will excuse me if I forbear all mention 
of them, and confine myself to some general re- 
marks on the colony. 

The population of Buenos Ayres and its imme- 
diate suburbs, exclusive of the country in its vici- 
nity, has been ascertained to amount to upwards 
of sixty thousand souls. The proportion of fe- 



VARIOUS CLASSES OF THE POPULATION. 47 



males to males is said to be as four to one, but if 
we take into consideration that many men are 
almost daily arriving from Europe, as well as 
from the South American provinces, and that 
under the old government neither the militia nor 
the marine was recruited from the mass of the 
population, we shall find reason to conclude that 
the proportion of the sexes is not so unequaL In 
the interior, the excess of males is very great, for 
as the lands are granted in large tracts only, and 
but poorly cultivated, there is no encouragement 
for the laboring classes to marry and settle upon 
them. The poor are compelled to remain single, 
from the very bare resources on which they de- 
pend for subsistence, and are accustomed to con- 
sider the married state as fraught with heavy 
burthens and inevitable misfortunes. It is not 
uncommon to find estates, larger than an English 
county, with hardly more than an hundred labor- 
ers upon them, who subsist upon the sale of a 
little corn, which each is permitted to grow for 
himself, but only to such an extent as a single 
man can plough. 

The various races which compose the popula- 
tion are as follow : 

1. Legitimate Spaniards or Europeans. In 
Buenos Ayres there are about three thousand; 
in the interior the number is very trifling, except 
in Potosi, which, being a mining country, contains 
many. 



48 VARIOUS CLASSES OF THE POPULATION. 

2. Creoles; legitimate descendants from Spa- 
niards or Europeans. 

3. Mestizos, the offspring of European and In- 
dian parents. 

4. Indians, almost all of whom have some mix- 
ture of Spanish blood. 

5. Brown mixtures of Africans and Europeans. 

6. Mulattos of various degrees. 

AH these races intermix without restraint, so 
that it is difficult to define the minor gradations, 
or to assign limits to the ever-multiplying va- 
rieties. Few families are entirely exempt from 
characteristics of Indian origin, physical as well as 
moral. It is well known that in the Spanish colo- 
nies little regard is now paid to purity of blood ; 
the various regulations for preserving the races 
distinct have gradually become obsolete. This 
may be regarded as a momentary evil ; but may it 
not be conducive in the long-run to the good of 
society, by concentrating the interests of the va- 
rious classes, which, in remaining separate, might 
one day endanger the stability of the government, 
as has been the case in the French colony of St. 
Domingo ? 

In describing the orders of society in Buenos 
Ayres, it is necessary to premise that I mean to 
class them, not by degrees of birth, rank, or pro- 
fession, but by the relative estimation in which 
they stand in point of property or public use- 
fulness. 



VARIOUS CLASSES OF THE POPULATION. 49 

According to this scale, the first which comes 
under consideration is the commercial class. Every 
person belonging to it, from the huckster at the 
corner of the street, to the opulent trader in his 
warehouse, is dignified by the appellation of mer- 
chant; yet few individuals among them can lay 
just claim to that title, as they are wanting in 
that practical knowledge so essential in commercial 
dealings. They are averse to all speculation and 
enterprise ; the common routine of their business 
is to send orders to Spain for the articles they 
need, and to sell by retail, at an exorbitant profit; 
beyond this they have hardly a single idea, and it 
has been said that their great reason for opposing 
a free trade with foreign nations, is a consciousness 
of their own mercantile inexperience. The more 
considerable houses are almost all branches of 
some European establishment ; few of the Creoles 
have any regular trade. Those among them, how- 
ever, who engage in it, are much more liberal in 
their transactions than the old Spaniards, and are 
observed to make less rapid fortunes, for their 
manly and independent character makes them 
spurn a miserable economy, and disdain to assume 
that church-going hypocrisy which must be prac- 
tised twice or thrice a-day by those who would 
enrich themselves through the patronage of the 
opulent families. Among the inferior tradesmen, 
those who gain most are the pulperos, the ware- 
housemen, and the shopkeepers. The pulperos 
retail wine, brandy, candles, sausages, salt, bread, 

E 



50 VARIOUS CLASSES OF THE POPULATION. 

spices, wood, grease, brimstone, &c. Their shops 
(pulperias ) are generally lounging-places for the idle 
and dissipated of the community. In Buenos Ayres 
there are about seven hundred of them, each more 
or less in the interest of some richer individual. 
The warehousemen sell earthen and glass ware, 
drugs, various articles of consumption, and some 
goods of home-manufacture, wholesale and retail. 
The shopkeepers amount to nearly six hundred 
in number ; they sell woollen cloths, silks, cotton 
goods of all sorts, hats, and various other articles 
of wearing apparel. Many of them make consi- 
derable fortunes, those especially who trade to 
Lima, Peru, Chili, or Paraguay, by means of 
young men whom they send as agents or factors. 
There is another description of merchants, if such 
they may be called, who keep in the back-ground, 
and enrich themselves by monopolizing victuals, 
and by forestalling the grain brought to market 
from the interior, much to the injury of the agri- 
cultural interest. 

The second class of inhabitants consists of the 
proprietors of estates and houses. They are in 
general Creoles, for few Europeans employ their 
funds in building, or in the purchase of land, until 
they have realised a fortune to live upon, which 
commonly takes place when they are far advanced 
in life, so that their establishments pass imme- 
diately into the hands of their successors. The 
simple landholders derive so little revenue from 
their possessions, that they are generally in debt 



VARIOUS CLASSES OP THE POPULATION. 51 

to their tradesmen ; their gains are but too com- 
monly engrossed by the monopolists, and having 
no magistrate to represent them, they find them- 
selves destitute of effectual resources against 
wrong and extortion. So defective and ill-regu- 
lated are the concerns of agriculture in this coun- 
try, that the proprietor of an estate really worth 
20,000 dollars can scarcely subsist upon it. 

Under the class of landed proprietors, I may 
reckon the cultivators, here called quinteros or 
chacareros, who grow wheat, maize, and other 
grain. These men are so depressed and im- 
poverished, that, notwithstanding the importance 
of their calling, and the public usefulness of their 
labors, they are ranked among the people of 
least consequence in society. 

The third class is composed of handicraftsmen, 
such as masons, carpenters, tailors, and shoe- 
makers, who, although they work hard and receive 
great wages, seldom realize property. The jour- 
neymen are usually people of color ; the masters 
for the most part Genoese, and universally fo- 
reigners, for the Spaniards despise these trades, 
and cannot stoop to work along with negroes or 
mulattos. Many of the lower orders derive sub- 
sistence from these and other employments of a 
similar nature ; here are lime-burners, wood-cut- 
ters, tanners, curriers, &c. The free porters con- 
stitute a numerous body of men ; they ply about 
the streets to load and unload carts, and carry 
burdens, but they are so idle and dissolute, that 



52 VARIOUS CLASSES OF THE POPULATION. 

no man can depend on their services for a week 
together; when they have a little money, they 
drink and gamble, and when pennyless, they some- 
times betake themselves to pilfering. These ha- 
bits have long rendered them a public nuisance, 
but no corrective measures have hitherto been 
taken, nor does there appear, on the part of the 
higher orders, any disposition to reform them. 

Persons employed in public offices may be 
comprehended under the fourth class. The best 
situations under Government are held by native 
Spaniards ; those of less emolument by Creoles ; 
the former are regarded as mere sinecures, and 
the persons enjoying them, are considered as in 
no way serviceable to the community, except by 
spending their large salaries within it. 

The fifth class is the militia or soldiery. Pre- 
vious to the invasion of the English, the officers 
were not much noted for military science, or for 
that ardor which leads to the acquisition of it ; 
their chief ambition was to obtain commands in 
towns and villages, especially those on the Portu- 
guese frontier, where they might enrich them- 
selves by smuggling. The privates were ill-dis- 
ciplined, badly dressed, and badly paid. The ef- 
fective force which the crown of Spain main- 
tained in these possessions, was one regiment of 
the line, which was to consist of 1200 men, but 
was reduced to less than half; one regiment of 
dragoons, amounting to 600, two of cavalry called 
blandengues, 600 each, and one or two companies 



VARIOUS CLASSES OF THE POPULATION. 53 

of artillery. With the exception of the Man- 
dengues, all the troops were originally sent from 
the Peninsula, but not having for the last twenty 
years been recruited from thence, their ranks 
were gradually filled by natives. By eminence 
they were called veterans, but they have been of 
late disbanded, and their officers have passed to 
the command of the new corps which were formed 
on the English invasion. The force of these corps 
may be estimated at nine thousand men. 

The sixth class is the clergy, in number about 
a thousand. The seculars are distinguished by 
their learning, honor, and probity from the 
friars, who are in general so grossly ignorant and 
superstitious, that they render no real service to 
the public in any way, but rather tend to disturb 
the minds of the honest and well-disposed. 

Every observation I was able to make, gave me 
a favorable idea of the general character of the 
people ; they are tractable, prudent, and gene- 
rous ; and doubtless, had they been under a 
milder and more beneficent government than that 
of the Spaniards, they might have become a mo- 
del to other colonies ; but it is lamentable to add, 
that, in points of morality, they cannot be consi- 
dered as much superior to the other inhabitants 
of America. This is attributable to the want of 
a proper system of education for youth, to the 
pernicious example afforded by the vices of the 
Europeans, and, in a word, to the prevalence of 
an intolerant system, which, by aiming to make 



54 VARIOUS CLASSES OF THE POPULATION. 

men what they cannot be, causes them to be- 
come what they ought not to be. The intolerant 
rigor exercised by the ministers of worship as well 
as by the government,, for the suppression of im- 
morality, defeats its own end ; it is like the un- 
skilful practice of a physician, which, directed 
solely against the external symptoms, aggravates 
instead of removing the disease. Thus, while open 
profligacy is discountenanced in Buenos Ayres, 
libertinism of a more dangerous kind is connived 
at, if not tolerated; the peace of the most re- 
spectable private families is liable to be destroyed 
by votaries of seduction, who respect neither the 
purity of female virtue, nor the sacred rights of 
matrimony. This evil pervades all classes of so- 
ciety, and is the source of domestic disputes, 
which often lead to serious consequences. 

In thus attempting to describe the state of 
Buenos Ayres, as I found it in the year 1807, 
I have purposely avoided all discussions of a po- 
litical nature, and have declined entering into a 
detail of the events which led to the present 
struggles of the people for independence. 



55 



CHAP. IV. 

Voyage to St, Catherine's— Description of that 
Island, and of the Coast in its Vicinity — Ar- 
rival at Santos, and Journey thence to S. 
Paulo, 

ON my return to Monte Video, I lost no time in 
putting in execution my purposed voyage to Rio 
de Janeiro ; and as advices had arrived, stating 
that considerable difficulty might attend the en- 
trance of an English ship into that port, I bot- 
tomried a Portuguese vessel, called the Vencedor, 
and was joined by a party of gentlemen, whose 
business required them to visit the capital of 
Brazil. 

In the beginning of September 1807, we had 
just embarked our stock for this voyage, when an 
order for the immediate evacuation of Monte 
Video by our troops was unexpectedly issued. 
As it had been generally believed that a prolonga- 
tion of the time for giving up the place had been 
agreed on, the greatest hurry and confusion pre- 
vailed in embarking the troops and stores, as well 
as the baggage of individuals. About mid-day 
the whole was on board ; a signal-gun was then 
fired for the Spanish troops to enter, and about 
three in the afternoon we had the mortification to 
behold their flag hoisted on the ramparts of this 



56 VOYAGE TO ST. CATHERINE'S. 

important military post and commercial depot, 
which the British forces had, a short period he- 
fore, so bravely and so dearly won. 

Having still some purchases to make, I returned 
on shore, with two of my friends, about four 
o'clock, but we had soon reason to repent of our 
temerity, for on passing the mole we were noticed 
as enemies and threatened severely, so that we 
found it necessary to pass into the more private 
streets, in order to avoid the malignant and hostile 
taunts of those very men who had of late ex- 
pressed themselves our friends and well-wishers. 
Desirous of expediting our several affairs as much 
as possible, we separated, and I was not able to 
rejoin my companions until eight in the evening. 
I found them in great anxiety for my safety ; the 
Spaniards had fired a feu-^de-joie from the citadel 
and fort St. Joseph, and were now preparing for 
bonfires* and illuminations, and my friends, though 
they did their utmost to avoid the riotous crowds 
that paraded the town, had several narrow escapes 
from being plundered and stripped by the soldiery. 
We all got safely on board by ten o'clock, con- 
gratulating each other on having happily avoided 

* One mode which they adopted for displaying their triumph over 
their late conquerors was singular enough ; they collected all the sign 
boards belonging to the English warehouses and shops, and made a 
bonfire of them. A great quantity of these boards was from the 
piilperias, the masters of which had been obliged to have on them the 
following inscription, painted in large characters, " Licensed to sell 
liquor," 



VOYAGE TO ST. CATHERINE*S. 57 

the dangers to which our rash confidence in the 
amicable disposition of the inhabitants had ex- 
posed us. 

On the 11th of September we sailed from the 
Rio de la Plata ; the vessels bound for the Cape 
of Good Hope were then nearly out of sight, and 
as we beheld them we felt a melancholy but proud 
delight in reflecting that, after such grievous and 
unexpected reverses, our brave countrymen were 
once more within their wide undisputed empire, 
the ocean. After a voyage, in which nothing worth 
relation occurred, we made the island of St. Ca- 
therine's, on the 29th, at sun-rise, and we were 
delighted with a grand and picturesque view of its 
conical rocks rising abruptly from the sea, em- 
bellished with the lofty mountains of Brazil, co- 
vered with wood, in the back-ground. This sublime 
scenery interested us the more from the contrast 
it formed with the extensive and woodless plains 
of Buenos Ayres. This island is situated in 27° 
29' south latitude, and is separated from the 
continent by a strait, in some places not half a 
league wide. 

Entering the port of St. Catherine's by the 
north, we passed several islands, on one of which, 
westward of the entrance, stood the respectable 
fort of Santa Cruz. After running a few miles in 
shoal water, we sailed into a narrow passage, 
guarded by two forts, which forms the harbour. 
From the anchorage, and more particularly from 
the landing-place, which is at the bottom of a 



58 DESCRIPTION OF THE ISLAND. 

verdant slope of about five hundred yards, the 
town has a most beautiful appearance, and the 
perspective is nobly crowned by its fine cathedral. 
The green is interspersed with orange-trees, and 
forms an agreeable parade. Immediately on en- 
tering the town, we discerned in its general ap- 
pearance, and in the manners of its inhabitants, 
a striking superiority over those which we had of 
late visited. The houses are well built, have 
two or three stories, with boarded floors, and are 
provided with neat gardens, well stocked with 
excellent vegetables and flowers. The town con- 
sists of several streets, and may contain from five 
thousand to six thousand inhabitants. It is a free 
port. The produce of the island consists in 
rice, maize, mandioca, coffee of excellent quality, 
oranges, perhaps the finest in the world, and a 
variety of other fruits. Sugar and indigo are 
likewise produced, but in small quantities. A 
profusion of the finest flowers indicates the genial 
nature of its climate ; the rose and the jessamin 
are in bloom all the year round. 

The surface of the island is varied with moun- 
tains, plains, and in some places swamps ; here is 
found a stratum of excellent red clay, which is 
manufactured into jars, culinary vessels, large 
water-pots, &c. which are exported in considerable 
quantities to the Plata and to Rio de Janeiro. 
The lands capable of cultivation are under con- 
siderable improvement ; a great extent of them 
was formerly covered with large trees, but as great 



DESCRIPTION OF THE ISLAltb. 



59 



quantities have of late years been cut down and 
used for ship-building, good timber may now be 
considered scarce. They grow flax here of a very 
fair quality, of which the fishermen make their 
lines, nets, and cordage. The sea hereabouts pro- 
duces an abundant variety of excellent fish, and 
some fine prawns ; so large is the supply to the 
market, that a quantity of fish*, sufficient to 
dine twelve persons, may be had for a shilling. 
Meat is much the same in quality as at Monte 
Video, being rather hard and lean; its general 
price is about three halfpence per pound. Pigs, 
turkies, ducks, poultry, and eggs, as well as fine 
vegetables and excellent potatoes, are plentiful 
and cheap. 

The trade of this place is inconsiderable, as the 
produce does not much exceed the consumption 
of the inhabitants, who are in general far from 
rich. It affords an agreeable retirement to mer- 
chants who have discontinued business, masters of 
ships who have left off going to sea, and other 
persons, who, having secured an independence, 
seek only leisure to enjoy it. Few places are bet- 
ter calculated for such a purpose than this; it is 

* The fishery of the baugre here is very considerable, and the mode of 
catching the fish, by means of a curved line of boats, by night, (from 
each of which is held a flambeau of straw to scare the fish toward the 
shore), is singularly picturesque, and might remind the imaginative 
spectator of a crescent of wild fire dancing on the waves. The fish is 
called at Rio de Janeiro the mulatto velho; the negroes eat it during 
Lent, and on Fridays and Saturdays. 



60 DESCRIPTION OF THE ISLAND. 

enlivened by the numerous coasting-vessels from 
Bahia, Pernambuco, and other ports, bound for 
the Plata, which frequently touch here; and it is 
amply provided with artisans of all descriptions, 
such as tailors, shoe-makers, tin-workers, joiners, 
and smiths. The inhabitants in general are very 
civil and courteous to strangers; the ladies are 
handsome and very lively, their chief employment 
is making of lace, in which they display great in- 
genuity and taste. 

The mountains of the interior, and the rocks 
on the coast, are of granite. Close to the fort, 
on the left hand of the entrance to the har- 
bour, is a vein of greenstone in various states of 
decomposition, which ultimately migrates into clay 
of a superior quality to that generally found in the 
valleys. The soil in the interior, being rather 
humid, is surprisingly fertile. It consists princi- 
pally of a rich vegetable decomposition, on which 
shrubs and plants grow in great luxuriance. 
Myrtles appear in all parts, and a most beautiful 
variety of the passion-flower is found in equar 
abundance. Here is also a profusion of roses, 
pinks, rosemary, &c. 

The animals are chiefly opossums, monkeys, and 
armadillas; there are various serpents, among 
which is the beautiful coral snake. Of birds, 
there are cranes, hawks, parrots, of various species, 
humming birds and toucans, the latter of every 
variety in great numbers. 

The climate is serene and wholesome, its solsti- 



AND OF THE ADJACENT COAST. 61 

tial heats being moderated constantly by fine 
breezes from the south-west and north-east, which 
are the winds that generally blow here ; the latter 
prevails from September to March, and the former 
from April to August, so that a voyage to the 
north, during one half of the year, is slow and 
tedious. 

The island is divided into four parishes: 1st, 
Nossa Senhora do Desterro ; 2d, St. Antonio ; 3d^ 
Laguna; and 4th, Ribeirao. The divisions of the 
opposite part of the continent are likewise under 
the jurisdiction of the governor of St. Catherine's, 
who is subject, in certain cases, to the captaincy 
of S. Paulo, and in others to the government of 
Rio de Janeiro. These divisions, are 1st, St. 
Jose; 2d, St. Miguel; and 3d, Nossa Senhora do 
Rosario; the entire population of the island and 
its dependencies amounts to about 30,000 souls. 

Of the fortresses which defend this island, the 
most considerable is Santa Cruz before mentioned; 
there are four others, Porto Groed, Ratoe,Estreito, 
and Conceicao. Off the former there is safe an- 
chorage for a fleet of men of war, and the harbour 
which it protects may be entered by ships of 300 
tons, if not of a heavy draught of water. Ships 
passing the channel are required to send a boat on 
shore at Santa Cruz before they proceed. 

To the west of the island, on the opposite coast, 
is an almost inaccessible barrier of lofty moun- 
tains, thickly covered with trees and underwood. 
At a small port in the vicinity, called Piripi, which 



62 DESCRIPTION OF THE ADJACENT COAST. 

has a very pretty river, an immense quantity of fish 
is caught, dried, and exported. They are ex- 
tremely fat, and very soon become rancid. 

On the continent, opposite the town of St. Ca- 
therine's, stands the pleasant village of St. Jose, 
the inhabitants of which are principally occupied 
in sawing timber into planks, making bricks, and 
growing rice. The net gains of a poor family 
here are incredibly small, but the necessaries of 
life are cheap, and they have few incentives to 
curtail their present enjoyments for the sake of 
improving their future fortunes. Near this village 
is a lovely vale called Picada, thickly studded with 
white cottages, embosomed in orange-groves and 
plantations of coffee. The gently-sloping hills 
which enclose this spot, give a picturesque effect 
to the bold rugged scenery beyond them. This 
valley, and others contiguous to it, form the ex- 
tremities of the territory habitable by the Portu- 
guese, for on the land to the westward, though 
at a considerable distance, dwell the Anthropophagi, 
here called Bugres. These savages live entirely 
in the woods, in wretched sheds made of palm- 
branches, interwoven with bananas. Their occu- 
pation is chiefly hunting with bows and arrows, 
but they frequently employ these weapons in hos- 
tilities against their neighbours. A party of them 
will sometimes way-lay a Portuguese *, whose 
residence is solitary ; they have even been known 

* This very rarely happens. 



DESCRIPTION OF THE ADJACENT COAST. 63 

to attack and destroy whole families. No regard 
to humanity seems indeed to be paid by either 
party in their encounters ; they are mutually bent 
on a war of extermination. 

There is much low swampy land in the island, 
over which causeways, supported by piles, are 
made to a considerable extent. These lands, on 
account of their humidity, are very favorable to 
the growth of rice. The palm-trees, seen at in- 
tervals in every direction, have a very pleasing 
effect. The whole coast may be said to be almost 
uninhabited. There are, indeed, some few settle- 
ments; but families scattered at the distance of 
ten or fifteen miles from each other can scarcely 
be called a population. 

Our stay at St. Catherine's was prolonged by 
some unforeseen circumstances, and we had time 
to make various excursions into the interior of the 
island and to the adjacent continent. On one of 
these occasions I happened to be absent, but the 
adventures which attended it being rather amus- 
ing, I am tempted to relate them in the words of 
one of my friends who formed the party. " Hav- 
ing hired horses and negroes we set out early in 
the morning for the river Tavarinha. The road 
for three leagues lay through thick woods, along 
which we passed without any material accident, 
and arrived at the end of our journey about two 
in the afternoon. We dined with Captain Lead, 
who entertained us very hospitably, and would 
have persuaded us to prolong our visit, but we 



64? DESCRIPTION OF THE ADJACENT COAST. 

determined to return that evening over the moun- 
tains. We travelled for a league through a level, 
well-cultivated country, clothed with orange- 
groves and coffee-plantations, and tolerably po- 
pulous. At sunset we arrived at the foot of the 
mountains, and began to ascend a steep and dan- 
gerous road, in the intricacies of which we were 
soon bewildered, and had great difficulty to regain 
the most beaten path, which led homewards. 
Night suddenly overtook us, and we had still 
three hours' journey over the mountains, without 
guide or attendant, along a perfectly alpine road, 
winding on the edge of horrible precipices. In 
this part of the journey two of us, having ad- 
vanced a little, the rest of the party were suddenly 
alarmed by a dreadful shriek, which excited great 
apprehension lest some one should have been pre- 
cipitated down the gulph, but we were agreeably 
undeceived soon after by the whole of the party 
joining us. We now heard a noise like hammers, 
which proceeded from persons beating cotton, and 
in a little time arrived at a house, where, on en- 
quiry, we were informed that the town was ten 
miles distant. We were proceeding, when a voice 
cried out in English, " but will not you stop and 
have some grog T It may be easily imagined that 
to be thus suddenly hailed with one of the most 
familiar phrases of our native English, while be- 
nighted in a strange land, operated like an electric 
shock upon us ; we immediately alighted at the 
house whence the voice seemed to proceed, and 



DESCRIPTION OF THE ADJACENT COAST. 65 



found a Mr. Nunney, the English interpreter, who 
furnished us with a guide ; we now continued our 
way with greater confidence, and reached the 
town about midnight. This Mr. Nunney, as we 
afterwards learnt, receives a dollar per diem during 
the stay of every English or American ship that 
touches at this port, whether his services are 
wanted or not, and by these means, with the pro- 
fits of the sales of provisions which he makes to 
such ships, he has acquired a little fortune and a 
pretty estate. His profits, indeed, are exorbitant, 
for he charges the articles 100 per cent, higher 
than they can be procured at from any other 
dealer in the place." 

While at the town of St. Catherine's, we visited 
some of the gardens with which its vicinity is em- 
bellished. They are laid out with great taste, 
particularly one belonging to the vicar, another 
in the estate of the late excellent and able General 
Soares Coimbra, and a third the property of 
Colonel Gama. At Barragros, near the village of 
St. Jose, we visited a gentleman of the name of 
Caldwin, who collects and preserves insects. He 
showed us his grounds, which occupy a space of 
eighty-five fathoms along the beach, and extend a 
mile inland, containing orangeries, coffee, rice, and 
mandioca, in a fine state of culture. These well- 
watered plantations, together with a neat house 
and garden, he offered to sell for a thousand cru- 
sados (about ,£125 sterling). 

This was not the only instance we remarked of 



66 DESCRIPTION OF THE ADJACENT COAST. 

the low value of landed property here. About 
two miles from the town of St. Catherine's, a neat 
house, a small orangery and ground clear of brush 
wood, capable of forming a pretty plantation, was 
offered at 100 dollars. An excellent house, in 
one of the best situations in the environs of this 
town, with a garden of about two acres well and 
tastefully planted, was offered to be sold for ,£400 
sterling. The building of the house must alone 
have cost that sum and it was in perfect condition. 
In short, money appeared so valuable, that a large 
landed estate might be purchased for a mere 
trifle. 

On contemplating the many natural advantages 
of this island, I could not but be struck with its 
importance, and was tempted to wish that it were 
annexed by treaty to the dominions of Great 
Britain. Emigrants might subsist here at a 
very cheap rate; and the isle is tenable against 
any force so long as we remain masters of the 
sea. Ships would trade to it from the western 
coast of America, and from the eastern coast of 
Africa, and in our hands it would soon become an 
emporium of commerce. It is adapted to almost 
every variety of produce ; the highlands are capa- 
ble of cultivation, and the plains and valleys are 
fertile even to luxuriance. The climate is humid, 
but its general temperature is moderate and salu 
brious. If colonized by English, the isle might 
be made a perfect paradise. Though not situated 
within the tropics, it produces indico, rice, su- 



DESCRIPTION OF THE ADJACENT COAST. 67 

gar-cane, pulse, and the finest oranges in the 
world. 

Our excursions to the main land were not con- 
fined to the districts immediately within the ju- 
risdiction of St. Catherine's. Proceeding north- 
ward from St. Jose, we entered some fine hays, the 
shores of which were studded with houses plea- 
santly situated amid bananerias, orangeries, and 
plantations of rice, coffee, and mandioca. After 
having passed several well-peopled parishes, we 
arrived at Armacao, a village at the extremity of 
a bay about nine leagues distant from St. Jose, 
and four leagues north of Santa Cruz. This vil- 
lage is a fishing station for whales, which were 
formerly very numerous on that coast, and in the 
bays that indent it. The fishery is farmed by 
government to a company under the superintend- 
ance of a Capitao Mor, and a number of inferior 
officers. About 150 negroes are employed on this 
station, but the number of whales now caught is 
not so great as formerly, when the average was 
three or four hundred in a season*. Their con- 
veniences for flinching or cutting up the fish are 
extensive and well-contrived f. Several fine piers 
project from the shore into eighteen to twenty 
feet depth of water, on which are erected cap- 
stans, cranes, and other requisite machinery. 
Hither all the fish caught on the coast are 

* Forty years ago they caught a whale a day ; but they now catch 
only one in the course of a month. 

t The oil, in consequence of not being well refined, is black and footy. 



68 DESCRIPTION OF THE ADJACENT COAST. 

brought. The boiling-house, tanks, &c. are far 
superior to any thing of the kind at Greenland- 
dock, and indeed to all similar establishments in 
Europe. To give an idea of their magnitude, it is 
sufficient to say, that in one range there are 
twenty-seven very large boilers, and places for 
three more. Their tanks are vast vaults, on some 
of which a boat might be rowed with ease. We 
obtained a view of these great works through the 
civility of the commander of the place, Capitad 
Mor Jacinto Jorge dos Anjos, who lives here 
in a princely style, and possesses a very con- 
siderable property, which he diffuses with great 
public spirit and liberality. All who have visited 
Armacao can bear witness to his, affability and 
urbanity to strangers. 

We crossed this peninsula by a mountainous 
road of four leagues to the Bay of dos Ganchos, 
commonly known by the name of Tejuco. Here 
land is of little or no value ; any one may take as 
much as he pleases of what is unappropriated, 
provided he make a proper application for it to 
the government. We passed two sugar planta- 
tions with conveniences for making rum ; and ob- 
served numerous huts interspersed in the vicinity. 
The contrary side of this peninsula forms the bay 
before named. The poor cottages of the people 
here present a curious picture of rural irregula- 
rity; some are built on the summit of conical 
mountains, the passage to which is frequently 
obstructed by clouds ; others stand on the sides of 



DESCRIPTION OF THE ADJACENT COAST. 69 



gentle acclivities ; but the greater number of them 
is situated almost in contact with the ocean, which 
often flows to their very doors. The bay is from 
two to three leagues across, and extends about 
the same distance inland ; it is well-sheltered, and 
affords good anchorage, and fine situations for 
loading timber, with which the mountainous coun- 
try around is thickly clothed, and large quantities 
of which are felled and embarked for Rio de Ja- 
neiro and the Plata. Canoes are made here, at a 
cheaper rate and in greater numbers than in any 
other part of Brazil. The inhabitants grow rice 
in considerable quantities, as well as some coffee 
and sugar ; but such is their indolence and poverty 
that they use only hand-mills, consisting of two 
horizontal rollers, in manufacturing the latter 
article. 

Into this bay fall several streams formed by the 
mountain-torrents and springs, and two tolerable 
rivers, the less called Inferninho, and the larger 
Tigreno. They both flow through low swampy 
land, subject to inundation, and overgrown with 
mangroves and an immense variety of trees. The 
insalubrity of this tract might be corrected by 
clearing away the underwood and draining the 
soil, but the arduousness of such an undertaking 
might deter a more active and skilful people than 
this. In the rainy season it is inundated to a great 
extent, and in summer it is infested with terrible 
swarms of mosquitos and burachala flies, which 
render it almost uninhabitable. The bay of dos 



70 DESCRIPTION OF THE ADJACENT COAST. 

Ganchos is a most desirable place. The timber 
cut and shipped for Rio de Janeiro might form, 
together with some of the sugars and spirituous 
liquors made here, an advantageous article of ex- 
port to the Cape of Good Hope ; but unfortunately 
there exists no stimulus to this sort of commercial 
speculation. Here are no small vessels fitting 
out for cargoes, nor will any person risk the 
equipment of a vessel to a distant part, where 
there is so little certainty of returns. So common 
an enterprize as that practised by ship-owners, 
in England, of sending out vessels to wait for 
cargoes (up the Baltic for instance) is here un- 
known ; and this is a sufficient proof of the low 
state of commerce and shipping. 

Along the beach of this bay I found the shell of 
the murex genus, which produces that beautiful 
crimson dye, so valued by the ancients. It is here 
called purpura, and to my great surprise, its use 
is in some degree known to the natives, one of 
whom shewed me some cotton fringe, dyed with 
an extract of it, though ill-prepared. The shell 
is about the size of the common whelk, and con- 
tains a fish, on whose body appears a vesicle full 
of a pale yellow, viscid, purulent substance, which 
constitutes the dye. The mode of extracting it, 
is to break the shell carefully with a hammer, so 
as not to crush the fish, and then let out the 
liquor in the vesicle with a lancet or other sharp 
instrument. I, for greater convenience, used a 
pen, and immediately wrote my initials, &c. on a 



DESCRIPTION OF THE ADJACENT COAST. 71 

handkerchief; the marks in half an hour after 
were of a dirty green color, and on being exposed 
to the air a few hours longer, changed to a most 
rich crimson. The quantity produced by each 
is very small, but quite sufficient for such 
an experiment. The best time for making it, 
is when the animal is in an incipient state of pu- 
trescency. I have not a doubt that if a sufficient 
quantity of them were taken, and the dying mat- 
ter, when extracted, were liquified in a small de- 
gree with gum-water, a valuable article of com- 
merce might be produced. At least the trial is 
worth making. The liquid is a perfect substan- 
tive dye, and of course resists the action of 
alkalies. 

On the rocks, and in greater abundance on the 
trunks of old trees, I observed a variety of lichens, 
some of which produced tints of several shades of 
colors. The continual decomposition of vege- 
tables here adds greatly to the richness of the 
soil; it is not uncommon to find trees lying on 
the ground with their interior substance entirely 
decomposed, and a great diversity of plants grow- 
ing on them in high luxuriance. Among the nume- 
rous tribes of birds that frequent this region, the 
aquatic afford good eating, as do also the smaller 
^parrots. The woods are filled with monkeys; 
and on the banks of the rivers are found capivaras 
in considerable numbers. 

In coasting along this shore, it is customary for 
strangers to visit the chief person in command at 



72 DESCRIPTION OF THE ADJACENT COAST. 

every station, whatever may be his degree or 
rank ; he, on being requested, will furnish guides, 
and afford every assistance in his power. I al- 
ways experienced the greatest attention and civi- 
lity from these gentlemen, and have reason to 
believe that they uniformly pay the same regard 
to all who visit them for permission to see the 
country. 

Ten leagues north of this place is the fine and 
capacious harbour of Garoupas, with its handsome 
town ; the anchorage is equally good as in that of 
dos Ganchos. The inhabitants here pursue the 
same mode of living as their neighbours in Te- 
juco. They have a fine climate, and a soil which 
yields a hundred-fold for whatever is sown or 
planted in it, and is noted for its delicious fruits. 
The cotton of which their common clothes are 
made, is grown, spun, and woven among them; 
they build their own houses, and form their own 
canoes, which they are dexterous in managing, 
and prefer to boats. It may indeed be said that 
every man is more 'or less an artisan ; but I am 
sorry to observe that they prefer ease to care and 
industry, and are by no means so good husband- 
men as those of Tejuco. This bay, as far as I 
could observe, during my short visit to it, pre- 
sents to the view a greater diversity of hills, val- 
leys, and plains, than the one before mentioned. 
Both are esteemed fine fishing-ground during 
the whale-season, which is from December to 
June. 



DESCRIPTION OF THE ADJACENT COAST. 73 

From hence northward is the fine harbour of 
San Francisco, in the bay of the same name. It 
has three entrances defended by forts ; that to the 
south is most frequented. The land here is very 
flat for several miles, and the rivers which inter- 
sect it are navigable for canoes as far as the base 
of the great chain of mountains, where a public 
road, begun at incredible labor and expense, 
leads over that almost impassable barrier. This 
road will soon be a work of national importance 
to Brazil, as through it the finest district in that 
country, and indeed one of the finest in the world 
in point of climate, the rich plain of Coritiva, 
will be connected with the ocean. The ridge of 
mountains is more than four thousand feet above 
the level of the sea, and there is a regular ascent 
for twenty leagues from their inland base, to Co- 
ritiva. On this fertile tract are fed large herds 
of cattle for the supply of Rio de Janeiro, 
S. Paulo, and other places ; here are also bred mules 
in great numbers. Its soil and air are so genial, 
that olives, grapes, apples, peaches, and other 
fruits, grow to as rich a maturity as in Europe, 
though they are here almost in a wild state. It 
is divided into many parishes, but its population 
is small, compared with its extent; a circumstance 
rather surprising, since every necessary of life is 
here so cheap and in such great plenty. Its dis- 
tance from the coast and from the chief towns, 
and the hitherto bad road, may have contributed 
to deter settlers; it is principally occupied as a 



74 DESCRIPTION OF THE ADJACENT COAST. 

breeding district, and supports no more inhabit- 
ants than what are barely competent to manage 
and tend the cattle, which are chiefly purchased 
by private dealers, and sometimes by commis- 
sioners from government, who come hither occa- 
sionally for the purpose. The road from hence 
to the city of S. Paulo, distant about 80 leagues, 
is tolerably inhabited, especially in the vicinity of 
Sorocaba, something more than half way, which 
is a great mart for mules and horses*. Near 
this place is a well-wooded country called Goro- 
suava, abounding with fine limestone, where a 
considerable quantity of rich iron ore is found. 
How deplorable is it that the people should yet 
have to learn the application of such valuable re- 
sources ! 

The neighbourhood of Coritiva is watered by 
fine rivers, which flow into the Parana. Many of 
the streams produce gold, particularly the Rio 
Verde ; and one called the Tibigi is rich in dia- 
monds, as the few good families in its vicinity 
have reason to remember with gratitude. More 
to the westward it is dangerous to travel, since 
in that direction live the Anthropophagi, who 

* Three leagues from Sorocaba, which is twenty leagues distant 
from the capital. S. Paulo is the famous mountain of Varessoiba. It 
contains such an abundance of iron, solta e & garnel, (loose or in 
heaps), that ten foundries, each melting 10,000 quintals per annum, 
would not exhaust it in a century; and it has wood for charcoal, 
which the same number would be unable to consume in that space of 
time. A company of Swedish miners was established here in 1810, 
but the undertaking was frustrated by intrigue. 



DESCRIPTION OF THE ADJACENT COAST. 75 

were driven from these boundaries a few years 
ago. The country to the north is very full of 
wood. 

From its great elevation above the level of the 
sea, the climate of Coritiva is peculiarly congenial 
to Europeans. Its soil is in general rich, and the 
hills are peculiarly well adapted for the grape, 
which here thrives as luxuriantly as in any part of 
Europe. On the low lands, particularly those 
bordering on rivers and rivulets, are woods of 
considerable extent, containing timber of enor- 
mous size, and fit for almost any purpose. This 
immense tract of land is thinly peopled; the 
few inhabitants that are scattered over it, oc- 
cupy themselves chiefly in the rearing of cattle, 
which, as it requires little or no trouble, is almost 
the only business which is followed. At Sorocaba 
there are held various market days and fairs, for 
the sale of horses, mules, and horned cattle, which 
are attended by dealers from S. Paulo, Santos, 
and more distant parts of Brazil. From this 
market mules are sent to the Rio, and even to 
Villa Rica. Many smiths are employed at Soro- 
caba in making shoes for the cattle, and a consi- 
derable number of men gain a livelihood by train- 
ing and domesticating these animals, for which re- 
course is had to very severe methods. A fine 
mule, which has been thus rendered tractable, will 
sell for four or five times the price of one not yet 
" civilized;" the cost of the latter, if the animal be 
full grown, and from two to three years old, will be 



76 DESCRIPTION OF THE ADJACENT COAST. 

about four dollars. The horses, which are usually 
of the same value, are in general handsome, with fine 
manes and tails, short necks, and in height about 
fourteen hands. They are trained solely to the 
saddle, and are not used as mere beasts of draught 
or burden. 

At the Rio, a good pair of carriage-mules will 
often sell at the enormous price of 150 or 200 dol- 
lars; such is the difficulty of rendering these ani- 
mals tractable. Horses alone are used for the 
saddle, the mares being reserved for breeding. 

Coritiva is not reported to contain gold or dia- 
monds, yet, both these valuable products are 
found in some parts of the district ; a fact known 
to but a few persons, who have profited greatly 
by keeping it secret. This fine country, there- 
fore, offers few attractions to the great mass of 
emigrants to Brazil, who are commonly tempted 
by the very name of the gold mines to settle in 
them, or are allured by the profits accruing from 
plantations of cotton, sugar, or coffee, and look 
with indifference on the pursuits of what is termed 
common agriculture. 

Although the soil of Coritiva, is capable of 
producing the finest wheats, the inhabitants, for 
obvious reasons, persevere in cultivating mandioca. 
Wheat requires a series of preparations before it 
can be fit for food ; it must be thrashed or tram- 
pled from the straw ; it must be ground to flour, 
and afterwards divested of the bran, and must 
then undergo the elaborate process of panifi- 



DESCRIPTION OF THE ADJACENT COAST. 77 



cation. Mills and ovens are not among the first 
articles of convenience introduced into a terri- 
tory, newly colonized and thinly peopled ; but on 
the contrary, any substitute for the food, which 
they are instrumental in preparing, will be pre- 
ferred, if it demand less care and labor. Hence 
the mandioca obtains the preference ; it requires 
less culture than wheat, and when ripe, may be 
converted into nutritious farinha in half an hour; 
indeed I have gathered, prepared, and eaten it as 
food in a less space of time. It is therefore no 
matter of wonder, that the inhabitants should con- 
tinue to subsist on this aliment, and on pounded 
maize, rather than on bread made of wheat, which 
demands so much greater a share of attention and 
industry. Maize, or Indian corn, is grown in 
considerable quantities, for the express purpose of 
feeding pigs, which constitute a staple article for 
consumption. In every fazenda, salt pork, as well 
as fowls, is invariably to be found ; and bacon is 
cured in large quantities, and sent to S. Paulo. 

The breeding of horned cattle, is left in a great 
measure to nature, and is much less attended to than 
that of mules. Few cows are domesticated ; and 
the little cheese that is made, if I may judge of 
the specimens I saw at S. Paulo, is of a quality 
almost disgusting. I did not see any butter made 
here, and indeed the few products of the dairy 
that are obtained, are considered of no manner of 
importance. 

The inhabitants lead an easy kind of life, in a 



78 DESCRIPTION OF THE ADJACENT COAST. 

great measure free from the molestation of fiscal 
and municipal officers ; they pay their tythes with 
great cheerfulness, in kind, specie being rarely seen. 
Their sole wants seemed confined to salt and iron ; 
and it is much to be lamented, that from the dis- 
tance of the nearest sea port, and the badness of 
the roads, these commodities are with difficulty 
procured. From the same causes, the improve- 
ments which this delightful country might derive 
from commerce have been retarded, and it is as 
yet very inadequately provided with the means of 
exchanging its superfluities, for articles of the first 
necessity. 

The chain of mountains which bounds the plain 
of Coritiva, is washed at the base by a lagoon, 
communicating in a direct line with the fine 
harbour of San Francisco, where many merchant- 
ships have been constructed of the finest timber. 

In this place, although rather in anticipation of 
the regular course of the narrative, it may not be 
improper to state, that, at the request of his Ex- 
cellency the Conde de Linhares, I submitted to 
the Court a paper on the advantageous situation 
of Coritiva and the sea-port above mentioned. 
Among other points, I suggested that an esta- 
blishment might there be formed for the joint pur- 
poses of rearing live-stock, and of salting and 
curing beef and pork for the royal navy; that the 
culture of wheat, and the manufacture of bread 
might be encouraged ; and that a depot might be 
formed at San Francisco, from whence grain with 



DESCRIPTION OF THE ADJACENT COAST. 



79 



other articles of consumption might be shipped to 
any part of Brazil. Indeed no other part of the 
country oners such temptations to agriculturists; 
nor could a colony of them planted here fail to 
florish, if directed by common prudence and mo- 
derate industry. The climate is salubrious ; the 
land consists of a beautiful diversity of hill, moun- 
tain, dale, ravine, and woodland, watered by 
numerous streams, which take their course, not 
toward the sea, but in an easterly direction, and 
flow into the great river Parana. Here are beasts 
of burden in unlimited numbers, and a sea-port 
within two or three days' journey. Here is land 
of the finest quality where a plough was never 
used ; here are mules and horned cattle to be had 
on the cheapest terms ; and yet the -operations of 
making butter and cheese are either unknown, or 
are practised in such a slovenly manner, as to 
render the articles unpalatable. Here is the 
finest timber ; here are fruits of every kind, ex- 
cept those peculiar to the tropical climates. 
What more then is wanted? An enlightened and 
industrious population to improve the blessings 
which nature has lavished on this district with 
so bounteous a hand. If agriculture, in the 
miserable way in which it is now practised, pro- 
duces sufficient to exempt the people from want, 
what wonders might it not produce in Coritiva, 
if followed according to the improved system of 
Europeans! A numerous and industrious popu- 
lation would soon adopt this, and all the other 



80 DESCRIPTION OF THE ADJACENT COAST. 

useful arts of life ; the silk worm would be pro- 
pagated; the hidden stores of the precious pro- 
ducts would be explored, and the interest of 
posterity might be excited by the exhibition of 
silk, gold, and diamonds, from the banks of the 
same river. Another luxury might be super- 
added ; since, from what I have seen of the grapes 
grown here, there can be no doubt, that, where 
rocky lands occur, "the generous vine" would thrive 
in great abundance, and Coritiva might in no long 
period of time become the vineyard of this vast 
continent. 

The cattle at Coritiva sell at various prices; 
oxen, much fatter and in better condition than 
those of the Rio de la Plata or of the Rio Grande 
de S. Pedro, .may be bought for about 14s. or 
18s. a head. The horses are in general finer than 
those of Buenos Ayres ; mules for the pack-saddle 
sell at about 40s. and those for riding at from 
three to six pounds. There is, however great 
fluctuation in the prices, owing to the occasional 
scarcity as well as the occasional abundance of 
specie. 

But to return from this digression to San Fran- 
cisco. The chief occupations of the inhabitants 
are the cutting of timber, and other labors con- 
nected with ship-building. Vessels of large di- 
mensions, and a number of small craft for coast- 
ers, have been built here by merchants of Rio de 
Janeiro, Bahia, and Pernambuco. When this 
trade is brisk, there is a great demand for the va- 



DESCRIPTION OF THE ADJACENT COAST. 81 



rious classes of artisans whom it requires, and 
many negroes are employed. The wood used is 
so strong, and holds the iron so firmly, that ships 
built of it endure many years, and are in greater 
esteem with the Portuguese and Spaniards than 
those built in Europe. On this account, the har- 
bour of San Francisco is likely to become of consi- 
derable value to Brazil ; and as it is connected with 
Coritiva, the cattle of which have been found su- 
perior to those of Rio Grande, there is every pro- 
bability, that at no distant period the Portuguese 
navy will be here supplied with salt provisions. 
This must, however, depend on the completion 
of the great road over the mountains, to which 
the present administration have laudably directed 
their attention, with a degree of zeal commensu- 
rate to the importance of the work in a national 
point of view. 

I must not omit noticing another production in 
this district, which will rise in utility and value 
as the port of San Francisco improves. Toward 
the north there are woods of fine large pines, ex- 
ceedingly hard, tough, and full of resin. They 
constitute a singular variety of the genus Pinus ; 
the boughs branch off from the upper part of the 
tree only, and have tussocks of leaves at each ex- 
tremity. A tree eighty feet high, for instance, will 
appear without branches to the height of about 
fifty-five feet; the branches there extend horizon- 
tally in every direction, with leaves at their extremi- 
ties, the lowest and largest to a distance of four- 



82 



ARRIVAL AT SANTOS. 



teen or fifteen feet from the stem, and the higher 
ones gradually diminishing in length towards the 
top, which ends in a tuft of leaves, as a crown for 
the whole. These trees are very picturesque, and 
indeed beautiful ; they grow to a sufficient size to 
serve as masts for ships of two or three hundred 
tons; I was told there were much larger ones to 
be found. 

Resuming our voyage, we left San Francisco, 
and, passing the port of Cananea, arrived near 
the entrance of the harbour of Santos. The coast 
along which we sailed is low and flat, and on its 
verge are some poor fishing-huts, which rather add 
to the dreariness of its appearance. It is covered 
with lofty trees, which also fringe the mountain- 
ous scenery beyond it. Several rivers occur, of 
little note in geography, but highly advantageous 
to the settlers, as they pass the very doors of the 
dwellings, and afford easy means for the transport 
of produce from the interior. On nearing Santos, 
we passed several bold rocks, called the Alcatrazes, 
and a ledge or reef on which the sea broke furi- 
ously. The main land is very elevated and moun- 
tainous, so much so that the low grounds which 
extend from its base are scarcely perceptible from 
the heights next beyond them. 

The harbour of Santos has a safe entrance, and 
is very secure ; it is a strait, having the island of 
S. Vicente to the left, for the extent of half a 
mile, when it takes a different direction. Here is 
situated the port, which has good anchorage, with 



DESCRIPTION OF SANTOS. 83 

regular soundings towards the shore, which shoals 
gradually. The currents and eddies cause some 
inconvenience, and the high land occasions much 
variation in the winds, which perplexes mariners 
on their entrance into the narrows, but as the 
water is not deep, and the current far from strong, 
a ship is safe the moment her anchor is let go, and 
by means of a boat and kedge she may be placed 
in any situation the pilot chooses. The part called 
the narrows, is defended by two forts, on passing 
which there is a kind of lagoon of three or four 
leagues in length, almost full of mangroves, ter- 
minated by the town of Santos, one of the oldest 
European settlements in Brazil. In common with 
S. Paulo, it owes its origin to the first shipwreck 
on the island of S. Vicente. The river or lagoon 
has three or four fathoms water and a muddy bot- 
tom. Santos is a place of considerable trade, be- 
ing the storehouse of the great captaincy of S. 
Paulo, and the resort of many vessels trading to 
the Rio de la Plata. It is tolerably well built, 
and its population, consisting chiefly of merchants, 
shop-keepers, and artificers, amounts to six or 
seven thousand souls. The situation is by no 
means healthy, as the country around it is low, 
woody, and frequently deluged with rain, by rea- 
son of the high mountains in its vicinity, which 
impede the passage of the clouds. Several rivu- 
lets flowing from the foot of these mountains in- 
tersect the land in various directions, and unite 
in one great river a little above the town of Santos. 
The rice of this district, which is grow n in great 



84 



DESCRIPTION OF SANTOS. 



quantities, is considered the best in Brazil, and the 
bananas are equally noted. 

From this port the Spanish territories, as well 
as Rio Grande, receive several vessels loaded 
with sugar, coffee, rice, mandioca, &c. in return 
they bring chiefly hides and tallow, which are 
generally exported hence to Europe. The Por- 
tuguese send much of their produce to the Spa- 
nish colonies, and are generally ill paid, but the 
shortness of the voyage, and the want of other 
markets, tempt many young men to speculate, 
notwithstanding the heavy duties and the number- 
less petty obstacles with which their neighbours 
have impeded and encumbered this commerce. A 
Spaniard in his own country rarely allows even a 
shadow of justice to a Portuguese; he uses a 
thousand artifices for procrastinating the decision 
of a cause at issue between them, till the latter, 
when his patience is completely exhausted, finds 
that he is likely to derive nothing from the contest 
but immense piles of law-papers, frequently writ- 
ten on the most trivial points in litigation, and 
paid for at an exorbitant price. If he persevere 
after all this disappointment, it generally happens 
that another alcalde or judge is appointed, and 
then the business is laid on the shelf. The injured 
Portuguese, after so much waste of time and mo- 
ney, is threatened with worse consequences, and 
frequently is obliged to leave the country in ruin 
and disgust. 

As Santos is the embarking port of S. Paulo, 
its intercourse with that town is very considerable. 



DESCRIPTION OF SANTOS. 



85 



In the course of a day several hundred mules fre- 
quently arrive, loaded with the produce of the 
country, and return with salt, iron, copper, earthen 
wares, and European manufactures. For the 
traffic of its immediate vicinity, it has the conve- 
nience of water-carriage, its river being navigable 
about twenty miles, up to Cubatao, where an offi- 
cer with a guard of soldiers is stationed to receive 
the king's duties for the repair of the roads and 
other public purposes. 

The governor of Santos being subject in all 
cases to the governor of S. Paulo, we applied to 
him for permission to go thither, which was im- 
mediately granted. It was now eight in the 
evening, and we were without an asylum for the 
night. I had several letters of recommendation, 
not one of which procured us any civility, and we 
found that the inhabitants were far from being 
courteous to strangers. We were willing to im- 
pute this to want of convenient accommodations, 
but it may be generally observed, that along the 
whole coast the same shyness prevails, while in 
the interior the people vie with each other in acts 
of hospitality. Perhaps in all countries this duty 
is most practised where the occasions for its exer- 
cise most rarely occur. 

Being unable to procure a bed at Santos, we 
were obliged to engage a canoe to convey us up 
the river to Cubatao, where we arrived at two in 
the morning, and were introduced into the guard- 
house for a hedging. The corporal being called, 



86 



JOURNEY TO S. PAULO. 



he accommodated us as well as he was able ; we lay 
down on the softest planks we could find, and 
made pillows of our portmanteaus, but though 
much wearied we found ourselves little disposed 
to sleep on so uneasy a couch. At sunrise, when 
we got up, an extraordinary and busy scene pre- 
sented itself; before the guard-house was a large 
space of ground enclosed by the storehouse and 
other out-buildings, and here a hundred mules 
were in the act of being harnessed and loaded ; the 
gentleness and tractability of these fine large ani- 
mals pleased us much, and the expertness of their 
masters, particularly of the negroes, in placing and 
replacing the burdens, was truly surprising. 

From the good corporal, who was commanding 
officer here, we received every attention, and 
much more civility than we had reason to expect 
from having experienced the unaccommodat- 
ing disposition of the people in Santos, in much 
better circumstances than himself. He procured 
us a good breakfast, and furnished us with saddle- 
mules for our journey, at the rate of ten shillings 
each, the distance being eight leagues. Having 
obtained a guide we mounted, and proceeded 
about half a mile, when we reached the foot of the 
stupendous mountains we had to cross. The road 
is good and well paved, but narrow, and, on ac- 
count of the rugged acclivities, is cut in a zig-zag 
direction, with very frequent and abrupt turnings, 
continually on the ascent. The trains of loaded 
mule s which we met on their way to Santos ren~ 



JOURNEY TO S. PAULO. 



87 



dered the passage disagreeable, and at times dan- 
gerous. In many places the road is cut through 
the solid rock jfor several feet, in others along the 
perpendicular sides, and it leads frequently over 
the tops of conical mountains, along the edge of 
precipices, down which the traveller is liable to be 
thrown into an impervious thicket full thirty yards 
below. These dangerous places are secured by 
parapets. After ascending for an hour and a half, 
during which time we made innumerable turnings, 
we arrived at a resting place, near which, at a spot 
a little lower than the road, we found water. This 
place, as our guide informed us, was only half-way 
to the summit ; we were astonished at the intelli- 
gence, as the clouds were already so far below us 
that they obstructed our prospect. During our 
progress hither, we observed that the mules travel 
as quick on an ascent as on level ground ; they 
much excel the horse in uneven roads with sharp 
turnings, and still more so in bad roads. 

To attempt the geology of mountains so covered 
by vegetable matter would be a difficult task ; the 
component parts of those along which we passed 
appeared to be granite, and frequently soft, 
crumbling, ferruginous sand-stone. Some pictu- 
resque streams bursting from their high sources 
form fine cascades, and in crossing the road force 
their way through many detached and round 
masses of granite. The woods are so thick in 
«very part, except where the mules tread, that no 
soil can be seen ; the branches of the trees in some 



88 



JOURNEY TO S. PAULO. 



places meet and form an arbor over the road, 
which shades the traveller from the heat of the 
sun, and shelters him from rain. 

After resting for about twenty minutes we 
again mounted and resumed our ascent. The 
road presented at times four or five zig-zags above 
us at one view, and gave us fresh reason for 
astonishment at the completion of a work so 
fraught with difficulties. The millions of crowns 
which must have been expended in clearing the 
woods and thickets in its course, and in cutting 
through the solid rock for a considerable distance, 
as well as in paving it through the whole extent of 
the ridge, afford no mean idea of the enterprising 
spirit of the Brazilians. Few public works, even 
in Europe, are superior to it ; and if we consider 
that, by reason of the scanty population of the 
district through which it passes, the labor be- 
stowed on it must have been purchased most 
dearly, we shall hardly find one in any country so 
well completed under similar disadvantages. 

In three hours we reached the summit, a plain 
of considerable extent, the lowest estimated height 
of which is six thousand feet. The surface is 
chiefly composed of quartz covered with sand. 
The sea, though distant twenty miles, seemed to 
us as if it washed the foot of the mountains ; the 
level part of the coast and the port of Santos be- 
low us came not within the angle of vision. While 
we enjoyed this sublime prospect, we were re- 
freshed by a ccol breeze, which renewed our 



JOURNEY TO S. PAULO. 



89 



strength and spirits, and enabled us to pursue our 
journey with alacrity. Advancing about a mile 
and a half, we came to a part of the road which 
was cut several feet deep through the rock, and 
observed in this quarter many small streams, which, 
though contiguous to the sea, all flow in a south- 
west course to an immense distance, and, uniting, 
form the great river Correntes, which joins the 
Plata. This circumstance will sufficiently ex- 
plain the form of this mighty ridge of mountains, 
namely, that the highest and steepest side fronts 
the sea, and that the other shelves more gradually 
and with more frequent outlets to the plains of the 
interior. This part of the road is lined by fine 
trees and large thickets on both sides. The heavy 
rains of the season (December) had damaged it in 
various parts; the readiest mode of repairing these 
breaks is to cut down several trees, about seven 
inches diameter, place them across, and fasten 
them down with hooked stakes. The mules which 
travel these rugged declivities, though far more 
hardy than horses, frequently fall victims to fa- 
tigue; we observed some dead by the way-side. 
In the course of our route we passed several parties 
of negroes and some of Indians, working at re- 
pairs in the road, or making new branches from 
it. Some of them I noticed with swellings in the 
neck, though very different from those I have ob^ 
served in Derbyshire and other mountainous coun^ 
tries. In the case of these Indians there not only 
appeared that protuberance from the glands com- 
monly called a wen, but lumps, of from half an 



90 



JOURNEY TO S. PAULO. 



inch to three inches in diameter, hung from it 
in an almost botryoidal form. Persons thus af- 
flicted are called in the language of the country 
papos. 

After crossing several rivulets and passing a few 
houses we arrived at a tolerable inn, belonging 
to an officer of militia, where we were soon pro- 
vided with plenty of milk, coffee, and fowls. It 
is distant sixteen or twenty miles from S. 
Paulo, and may be considered as half-way be- 
tween that town and Santos. The owner, who 
was much surprised to see Englishmen, treated us 
with every civility, and procured us a change of 
saddle-mules. While they were preparing, he 
shewed us a tract of land in front of his house, 
tolerably well cleared, where we took an hour's 
shooting. We then proceeded through a much 
more open country, which bore the traces of 
former cultivation, and seemed of late to have 
been much neglected. As we drew nearer 8. 
Paulo, the road improved, and was enlivened by 
a greater number of habitations in its vicinity. 
We passed two convents, which had the air of 
convenient houses, and were distinguished by 
large crosses erected before them. The land was 
watered by several fine streams ; in one part we ob- 
served a quarry of ferruginous grit-stone, but wehad 
not leisure to make much mineralogical research. 
S. Paulo, although on an elevated site, is not ob- 
served at any great distance in this direction. In 
its immediate neighbourhood the river runs pa- 
rallel to the road, which it sometimes partially 



JOURNEY TO S. PAULO. 91 

overflows, and covers with sand. To our left we 
'Saw a large estalagem, or inn, where numbers of 
mules are unloaded, and travellers commonly pass 
the night. It consists of a very large shed, sup- 
ported upon upright pieces of timber, with sepa- 
rate divisions for receiving the cargoes or burdens 
of the mules, each traveller occupying as many 
as his goods require; and there is a piece of 
ground of about a hundred yards in circumfer- 
ence, planted with small upright stakes, at ten or 
fifteen feet distance, to which the bridles of the 
mules are tied while they are fed, saddled, and 
loaded. These estalagems are common in all 
parts of Brazil. 

On entering the town, although we had ex- 
pected much from its being the capital of the 
district, and the residence of the governor, yet 
we were struck with the neat appearance of its 
houses, stuccoed in various colors; those in the 
principal streets were two or three stories high. 
Having arrived an hour or two before sun-set, we 
walked to the house of a gentleman, to whom we 
had a letter of recommendation ; but he being ab- 
sent, we were obliged to pass the night at the 
estalagem, where our mules had been put up. It 
was a miserable abode. The next morning we 
breakfasted with our friend, and were conducted by 
him to the governor, Brigadier General Franca 
Horta, who honored us with an invitation to dinner, 
permitted a perishable cargo ofmy friend's property, 
which was lying at Santos, to be unloaded, and 



J 



92 



DESCRIPTION OF S. PAULO. 



gave us a general welcome to his palace. We 
had the good fortune to find that two of his Ex- 
cellency's aides-de-camp, men of excellent cha- 
racter, had been educated in England. They as- 
sisted us in obtaining lodgings, rendered us every 
service that we stood in need of, and shewed an 
earnest desire to make our stay as agreeable as 
possible. 



CHAP. V. 

Description of S Paulo.— System of Farming 
'prevalent in its Neighbourhood. — Excursion to 

the Gold Mines of Jaragua Mode of working 

them.— Return to Santos, 

S. PAULO is situated on a pleasing eminence of 
about two miles in extent, surrounded on three 
sides by low meadow land, and washed at the 
base by rivulets, which almost insulate it in rainy 
weather ; it is connected with the high-land by a 
narrow ridge. The rivulets flow into a pretty 
large stream called the Tiete, which runs within 
a mile of the town, in a south-west direction. 
Over them there are several bridges, some of 
stone and others of wood, built by the late go- 
vernor. The streets of S. Paulo, owing to its 
elevation (about 50 feet above the plain), and the 
water which almost surrounds it, are in ge- 



DESCRIPTION OF S. PAULO. 



93 



neral remarkably clean ; the material with which 
they are paved, is grit-stone, cemented by 
oxide of iron, and containing large pebbles of 
rounded quartz, approximating to the conglo- 
merate. This pavement is an alluvial formation 
containing gold, many particles of which metal 
are found in the clinks and hollows after heavy 
rains, and at such seasons are diligently sought 
for by the poorer sort of people. 

The city was founded by the Jesuits, who were 
probably tempted by the gold mines in the vici- 
nity, more than by the salubrity of its air, which, 
however, is not excelled by any on the whole con- 
tinent of South America. The medium of the 
thermometer here is between 50 and 80 degrees ; 
in a morning I have observed it at 48, and even 
lower, though I was not there in the winter 
months. The rains are by no means heavy or of 
long continuance, and the thunder-storms are far 
from being violent. The cold in the evenings 
was frequently so considerable, that I was obliged 
to shut my doors and windows, put on more clothes, 
and have a pan of embers in the room, there being 
no chimneys. 

Here are several squares, and about thirteen 
places of religious worship, namely, two convents, 
three monasteries, and eight churches, the greater 
part of which, as well as of the whole town, is 
built of earth. The mode of erecting the walls 
is as follows : a frame is constructed of six move- 
able planks placed edge-wise, opposite each other. 



94 



DESCRIPTION OF S. PAULO. 



and secured in this position by cross pieces bolted 
with moveable pins. Earth is put in by small 
quantities, which the workmen beat with ram- 
mers, and occasionally moisten with water to give 
it consistency. Having filled the frame or trough, 
they remove it and continue the same operation 
till the whole shell of the house is completed, 
taking care to leave vacancies, and put in the 
window-frames, door-frames, and beams as they 
proceed. The mass, in course of time, becomes 
indurated, the walls are pared perfectly smooth 
inside, and take any color the owner chooses to 
give them ; they are generally enriched with very 
ingenious devices. This species of structure is 
durable ; I have seen some houses thus built that 
have lasted two hundred years, and most of them 
have several stories. The roofs are made to pro- 
ject two or three feet beyond the wall, in order to 
throw off the rain to a distance from the base; 
spouts might be a more effectual preservative 
against wet, but their use is little known here. 
They cover their houses with gutter-tiles, but 
though the country afiferds excellent clay and 
plenty of wood, very few bricks are burnt. 

The population of this place amounts to full 
fifteen thousand souls: perhaps nearer twenty 
thousand*; the clergy, including all ranks of re- 

* According to a statistical report, dated 1811, the city of S. Paulo 
contains 4017 houses, (fogos, hearths); 5219 whites (males), 6319 
whites (females); 377 free negroes, 485 free negresses ; 1967 male, and 
1914 female captive negroes; 2394 free mulattoes, 3279 free mulattas; 



DESCRIPTION OF S. PAULO. 



95 



Ijgious orders, may be reckoned at five hundred. 
They are in general good members of society, free 
from that excessive bigotry and illiberality which 
is the reproach of the neighbouring colonies, and 
their example has so beneficial an effect on the rest 
of the inhabitants, that I may presume to say, no 
stranger will be molested while he acts as a gentle- 
man, and does not insult the established religion. 
His Excellency the Bishop is a most worthy prelate, 
and were the inferior orders in his diocese to follow 
his steps in cultivating the sciences and diffusing 
useful information, they would command greater 
respect from their flocks, and by that means fur- 
ther the interests of the religion they profess. 
Priests, so ignorant> can hardly escape con- 
tempt. 

No endemial diseases at present prevail here. 
The small-pox formerly, and indeed of late, 
made great havoc among the inhabitants, but 
its progress has been checked by the introduc- 
tion of vaccine inoculation. Surgeons attend- 
ed at a large hall belonging to the governor, to 
which the public were invited, and the opera- 
tion was performed gratis. It is to be hoped that 
the credit of this preventative will make its way 
among the people here, for they are not compe- 
tent to enter into the merits of that controversy 
which injured it in Europe. 

745 male, and 896 female captive mulattoes; making the whole popu- 
lation 23,764. In this year (181 1), the births were 1301, the deaths 
785, the marriages 233. 



96 



DESCRIPTION OF S. PAULO* 



Here are few manufactures of any consequence ; 
a little coarse cotton is spun by the hand, and 
woven into cloth, which serves for a variety of 
wearing apparel, sheets, &c. They make a beau- 
tiful kind of net-work for hammocks, which are 
fringed with lace, and form an elegant piece of 
furniture, being slung low, so as to answer the 
purpose of sofas. The ladies are particularly fond 
of using them, especially when the heat of the 
weather disposes them to ease and indolence. The 
making of lace is a general employment for fe- 
males, some of whom excel in it. The shop- 
keepers here are a numerous class, who, as in 
most colonial towns, deal in almost every thing, 
and sometimes make great fortunes. Here are 
few do'ctors, .but many apothecaries ; some silver- 
smiths, whose articles are equally indifferent both 
in metal and workmanship ; tailors and shoe-ma- 
kers in great numbers ; and joiners, who manu- 
facture very beautiful wood, but are not so mode- 
rate in their charges as the former classes of trades- 
men. In the out-skirts of the city live a number 
of Creolian Indians, who make earthen-ware for 
culinary purposes, large water-jars, and a variety 
of other utensils ornamented with some taste. 
The greatest proportion of the inhabitants con- 
sists in farmers and inferior husbandmen, who cul- 
tivate small portions of land, on which they breed 
large stocks of pigs and poultry for sale. With 
these the market is generally well supplied, and 
in the fruit-season is also stored with pines, grapes, 



DESCRIPTION OF S. PAULO. 



97 



peaches, guavas, bananas, a few apples, and an 
enormous quantity of quinces. v 
Esculent plants are grown in great profusion 
and variety. Here is a favorite bulbous root 
called the Card, which is equal to the best potatoe, 
and even more farinaceous than many varieties of 
that plant ; it grows to about seven inches in diame- 
ter, and affords excellent food, either boiled or 
roasted. Fine cabbages, sallad-herbs, turnips, cauli- 
flowers, artichokes, and potatoes are in abundance ; 
the latter, though very good, are little used : the 
sweet potatoe is in greater request among the 
natives. Maize, beans, green-peas, and every 
species of pulse florish amazingly. Fowls are 
cheap, we bought some at three-pence and six- 
pence each ; small pigs from one to two shillings ; 
and flitches of bacon, cured after the mode of the 
country, at about two-pence per pound. Turkies, 
geese, and ducks are abundant, and reasonable in 
price ; the latter are of the Muscovy breed, enor- 
mously large, some weighing ten or fourteen 
pounds. Here is a singular breed of cocks ; they 
resemble the common English in plumage and 
shape, but they crow very loud, and continue 
their last note for 15 or 20 seconds. When their 
voice is good, they are much esteemed, and are 
sent for as curiosities from all parts of Brazil. 
The cattle are in general good, considering that 
so little attention is paid to feeding them ; when 
their pastures are full of grass, they are tolerably 
fat, but when otherwise they become lean. A 

H 



98 



DESCRIPTION OF S. PAULO. 



drove may be bought at 24s. or 30s. a head ; beef at 
about a penny or three-halfpence per pound. The 
curriers have a singular method of blackening 
cow-hides and calf-skins: when they have pre- 
pared them for that operation, they search for 
some mud-hole at the bottom of a ferruginous 
stratum, a ditch for instance ; with the mud they 
cover that side of the skin required to be stained ; 
and they prefer this material to the solution of 
copperas, probably with reason, as the sulphate 
of iron formed by the decomposed pyrites acts 
more mildly in this state than when applied in the 
common way. 

The horses are very fine, and in general docile; 
when well trained they make excellent chargers. 
Their size is from twelve and a half to fourteen 
and a half hands, and they vary in price from 
three to twelve pounds. Mules, as we have before 
observed, are considered more useful beasts of 
burden. The breed of sheep is quite unattended 
to, and mutton is rarely or never eaten. Here is 
a very fine and large breed of goats, whose milk 
is generally used for domestic purposes. The dogs 
are very indifferent, and of no distinct race. 

In my walks round the city, I had frequent op- 
portunities of examining the singular succession 
of horizontal strata, that form the eminence on 
which it stands. They lie in the following order : 
first, one of red vegetable earth of variable depth, 
impregnated with oxide of iron ; below that, sand 
and adventitious matter of different shades of co- 



DESCRIPTION OF S. PAULO. 



99 



lor, as ochre-red, brown, and dusky yellow, toge- 
ther with many rounded pebbles, which indicate 
it to be of rather recent formation ; it varies in 
depth from three to six feet, or perhaps to seven, 
and its lower part is uniformly yellow : under this 
is a bed of exceedingly fine clay of various colors, 
but for the most part purple ; the white and yel- 
low is the purest in quality; it is interveined with 
thin layers of sand in various directions. Then 
succeeds a stratum of alluvial matter, which is 
highly ferruginous ; it rests on a variety of de- 
composed granite, containing hornblende, the pro- 
portion of feldspar apparently exceeding that of 
the other constituents*. The whole is incumbent 
on fine grained granite. The sides of the mount 
are steep, and in some places nearly perpen- 
dicular f. 

The fertility of the country around S. Paulo 
may be inferred from the quantities of produce, 
with which, as I have stated, its market is sup- 
plied. About a century ago, this tract abounded 
with gold ; and it was not until they had exhaust- 
ed it by washing, that the inhabitants thought of 
employing themselves in husbandry. As they did 

* Probably the coloring matter arises from the decomposition of the horn- 
blende; I have frequently observed a mass of granite havingits surface 
decomposed into a red clay, in which the particles of mica were hardly 
perceptible, while the compact rock below contained a very fair pro- 
portion. These granites contain hornblende with mica. 

t In one part of the town is found a beautiful species of decomposed 
granite, consisting of extremely white feldspar, quartz, and very 
little mica. 



100 SYSTEM OF FARMING 

so more from necessity than from choice, they 
were tardy in pursuing those improvements which 
other nations have made in this noble art, and, 
pining at the disappearance of the precious mine- 
ral, considered their new occupation as vile and 
degrading. Indeed throughout the whole of Bra- 
zil, the husbandmen have ever been considered as 
forming a class greatly inferior in point of respect- 
ability to the miners ; and this prejudice will in 
all likelihood subsist until the country shall have 
been drained of its gold and diamonds, when the 
people will be compelled to seek in agriculture a 
constant and inexhaustible source of wealth. 

I shall attempt to describe the system of farm- 
ing which at present prevails in the neighbourhood 
of S. Paulo. It has been elsewhere observed 
that, in this extensive empire, land is granted in 
large tracts, on proper application ; and we may 
naturally suppose that the value of these tracts 
depends more or less on their situation. It there- 
fore becomes the first object of a cultivator, to 
look out for unoccupied lands as near as possible 
to a large town ; good roads and navigable rivers 
are the desiderata next in point of consequence 
which he attends to. When he has made choice 
of a situation, he applies to the governor of the 
district, who orders the proper officers to mark 
out the extent required, generally a league or a 
league and a half square, sometimes more. The 
cultivator then purchases as many negroes as he 
can, and commences his operations by erecting 



PREVALENT AT S. PAULO. 101 

habitations for them and himself, which are gene- 
rally miserable sheds, supported by four posts, 
and commonly called ranchos. His negroes are 
then directed to cut down the trees and brush- 
wood growing on the land, to such an extent as 
he thinks they will be able to manage. This done, 
they set fire to all they have cut, as it lies on the 
ground. Much of the success of his harvest de- 
pends on this burning; if the whole be reduced to 
ashes he expects a great crop ; if, through wet 
weather, the felled trees remain only half burnt, 
he prognosticates a bad one. When the ground 
is cleared, the negroes dibble it with their hoes, 
and sow their maize, beans, or other pulse ; dur- 
ing the operation they cut down any thing very 
much in the way, but never think of working the 
soil. After sowing as much seed as is thought re- 
quisite, they prepare other ground for planting 
cassada, here called mandioca, the root of which 
is generally eaten as bread by all ranks in Brazil. 
The soil* for this purpose is rather better pre- 
pared; it is raked up in little round hillocks, not 
unlike mole-hills, about four feet asunder; into 
which are stuck cuttings from branches of the 
plant, about an inch thick and six or eight long; 
these soon take root, and put forth leaves, shoots, 
and buds. When enough has been planted for the 
entire consumption of the farm, the owner, if he 
is rich enough, prepares means for growing and 



* Mandioca requires a dry hot soil, of a sandy nature. 



102 SYSTEM OF FARMING 

manufacturing sugar. He first employs a carpen- 
ter to cut wood, and build a mill with wooden 
rollers for crushing the canes, by means of water, 
if a stream is at hand, if not, by the help of 
mules or oxen. While some of the negroes are 
assisting the carpenter, others are employed in 
preparing ground in the same way as for mandioca^ 
Pieces of cane containing three or four joints, and 
in length about six inches, cut from the growing 
stem, are laid in the earth nearly horizontally, and 
covered with soil to the depth of about four in- 
ches. They shoot up rapidly, and in three months 
have a bushy appearance not unlike flags ; in 
twelve or fifteen months more they are ready for 
cutting. In rich virgin soil it is not uncommon 
to see canes twelve feet high and astonishingly 
thick. 

The Indian corn and pulse are in general ripe 
in four months or eighteen weeks. The average 
return is two hundred for one ; it is a bad harvest 
when it falls short of one hundred and fifty. 

The mandioca is rarely ready to take up in less 
than eighteen or twenty months; if the land be 
suitable, it then produces from six to twelve 
pounds weight per plant*. They grow very little 

* This generous root requires but little preparation to make it serve 
as a substitute for bread. When taken out of tiie ground they wash 
and scrape it clean, and then rasp it on a coarse grater of iron or cop- 
per, press the juice from it, and place it on a hot surface, a shallow 
copper-pan for instance, four or five feet in diameter, or a clay one, 
with a brick fire underneath ; while drying it is constanl v stirred., and 



PREVALENT AT S. PAULO. 



103 



indigo in this neighbourhood, and what they have 
is of indifferent quality. Their pumpkins are of 
enormous size, and small ones are sometimes served 
up as table-vegetables, but more frequently given 
as food to the horses. Melons here are scarcely 
palatable. 

In no branch of husbandry are the farmers so 
defective as in the management of cattle. No 
artificial grasses are cultivated, no enclosures are 
made, nor is any fodder laid up against the season 
of scarcity. The cows are never milked regu- 
larly; they seem to be considered rather as an 
incumbrance to a farm than a valuable part of 
the stock. They constantly require salt, which is 
given them once in fifteen or twenty days, in 
small proportions. The dairies, if such they may 
be called, are managed in so slovenly a manner, 
that the little butter which is made becomes ran- 
cid in a few days, and the cheese is good for nothing. 
In this essential department the Paulistas are 
deplorably deficient ; rarely indeed is there to be 
seen a farm with one convenience belonging to it. 
For want of proper places in which to store their 
produce, they are obliged to lay it in promiscuous 
heaps ; and it is not uncommon to see coffee, cot- 

when the moisture is completely evaporated, it is immediately fit for 
use. If preserved from w et, it will keep good a long time. In broths 
and soups it becomes gelatinous, and affords rich nourishment ; it is 
particularly good w hen eaten with cheese. The wild or spurious man- 
dioca, called Aipim, is little inferior, when roasted, to fine chesnuts. 
The Portuguese hit reduce it at table, boiled as well as roasted. 



104 



SYSTEM OF FARMING 



ton,, maize, and beans, thrown into the corners of 
a damp shed, and covered with a green hide. 
One half is invariably spoiled by mould and pu- 
tridity, and the remainder is much deteriorated, 
through this idle and stupid negligence. 

They feed their pigs on Indian corn in a crude 
state ; the time for confining them to fatten is at 
eight or ten months old; and the quantity con- 
sumed for the purpose is eight or ten Winchester 
bushels each. When killed, the lean is cut off the 
sides as clean as possible, the fat is cured with 
very little salt, and in a few days is ready for 
market. The ribs, chine-bone, and lean parts are 
dried for home consumption. 

The farm-houses are miserable hovels of one 
story, the floor neither paved nor boarded, and 
the walls and partitions formed of wicker-work, 
plastered with mud, and never under-drawn. For 
an idea of the kitchen, which ought to be the 
cleanest and most comfortable part of the dwell- 
ing, the reader may figure to himself a filthy 
room, with an uneven muddy floor, interspersed 
with pools of slop-water, and in different parts 
fire-places formed by three round stones to hold 
the earthen pots that are used for boiling meat ; 
as green wood is the chief fuel, the place is almost 
always filled with smoke, which, finding no chim- 
ney, vents itself through the doors and other 
apertures, and leaves all within as black as soot. 
I regret to say that the kitchens of many opulent 
people are not in much better condition. 



PREVALENT AT S. PAULO. 



105 



It may well be imagined that, in a country like 
this, a stranger finds the greatest comfort and en- 
joyment out of doors. The gardens in S. Paulo, 
and its vicinity, are laid out with great taste, and 
many of them with curious elegance. The jas- 
mine is every where a favorite tree, and in this 
fine climate hears flowers perennially, as does the 
rose. Carnations, pinks, passion-flowers, cocks- 
combs, &c. grow in great plenty; one of their 
most estimable shrubs is the Palma Christi, which 
gives fruit the first year, and yields abundance of 
castor-oil, which all families possess in such quan- 
tity, that no other sort is burnt. 

Bees are by no means uncommon; they are 
easily domesticated, and, I believe, are perfectly 
harmless. Their honey is pleasant ; the wax, par- 
ti cularly that generally sold, which is taken from 
their nests in old forest-trees, is very foul, but 
might be purified by a very simple process. The 
woods contain a great variety of animals of the 
monkey kind, and also beasts of prey, some of 
which have tolerably good fur. Among the latter 
may be classed a peculiar species of the otter. 
Insects are numerous, but the musquitos are not 
so offensively so as in the Rio de la Plata. The 
animalculum, called the niagua or jigger, is trou- 
blesome ; it beds itself under the nails of the toes, 
and sometimes of the fingers, but it may easily be 
banished by extracting it and its bag of eggs with 
a needle, and filling the cavity with calomel or 
snuff, for fear any should have remained. Rep- 



106 



SYSTEM OF FARMING. 



tiles, I was told, were very numerous, but I saw 
few, except toads, which, in the evenings, crawl 
upon the foot-paths, and even infest the streets 
of the city. The sorocucu or jararaca (serpents) 
are said to be very dangerous. 

The woods produce large and durable timber, 
well calculated for building. Of their trees, all 
of which retain their Indian names, some yield 
very fine gums. The jacarandd, called in Eng- 
land rosewood, is here very common. Many of 
their shrubs bear beautiful flowers, and are very 
aromatic. Among the innumerable creeping 
plants which clothe the soil of their uncleared 
lands, there are some distinguished as infallible 
antidotes to the bite of venomous reptiles ; one in 
particular, called the coracao de Jesus*, is univer- 
sally esteemed. 

Beyond the plain which nearly encircles S. 
Paulo, the country is hilly, or rather mountainous. 
Had the period of my stay been longer, I should 
have devoted some time to a geological tour in 
that district ; but having urgent reasons to hasten 
my departure for Rio de J aneiro, I had leisure to 
make only one excursion of this kind. The go- 
vernor invited me to visit the old gold-mines of 
Jaragua, the first discovered in Brazil, which were 
now his property, together with a farm in their 
vicinity, distant about twenty-four miles from the 
city. We travelled along a tolerable, and in some 



* Its leaf is shaped like a heart. 



EXCURSION TO THE GOLD MINES OF JARAGUA. 107 



places, fine road, in a southerly direction, for 
twelve miles, and crossed the Tieti. This river is 
here considerably larger and deeper than in the 
neighbourhood of S. Paulo ; it has an excellent 
wooden bridge, free from toll. On its banks there 
are some situations truly enviable ; fine rich virgin 
lands covered with timber, and capable of pro- 
ducing, not only the necessaries, but the luxuries 
of life, in a hundredfold degree, if properly cul- 
tivated. It was melancholy to behold a territory, 
which, for its teeming soil and genial climate, de- 
serves to be called a paradise, neglected and soli- 
tary, like that of Eden after the fall ; while its in- 
fatuated possessors, like the offspring of Cain, 
hungering for gold, kept aloof from the rich feast 
which nature here spread before them, 

After travelling onward four leagues, we ar- 
rived at the ancient mines of J aragua, famed for 
the immense treasures they produced nearly two 
centuries ago, when at the ports of Santos and S. 
Vicente, whence the gold was shipped for Europe,, 
this district was regarded as the Peru of Brazil 
The face of the country is uneven and rather 
mountainous. The rock, where it appeared ex- 
posed, I found to be granite, and sometimes gneiss, 
containing a portion of hornblende, with mica. 
The soil is red, and remarkably ferruginous, in 
many places apparently of great depth. The gold 
lies, for the most part, in a stratum of rounded 
pebbles and gravel, called cascalho, immediately 
incumbent on the solid rock. In the valleys, where 



108 MODE OF WASHING FOR GOLD, 

there is water, occur frequent excavations, made 
by the gold-washers, to a considerable extent, some 
of them fifty or a hundred feet wide, and eighteen 
or twenty deep. On many of the hills, where 
water can be collected for washing, particles of gold 
are found in the soil, scarcely deeper than the roots 
of the grass. 

The mode of working these mines, more fitly 
to be denominated washings, is simple, and may 
be easily explained : 

Suppose a loose gravel-like stratum of rounded 
quartzose pebbles and adventitious matter, incum- 
bent on granite, and covered by earthy matter of 
variable thickness. Where water of sufficiently 
high level can be commanded, the ground is cut in 
steps, each twenty or thirty feet wide, two or three 
broad, and about one deep. Near the bottom a 
trench is cut to the depth of two or three feet. 
On each step stand six or eight^egroes, who, as 
the water flows gently from above, keep the earth 
continually in motion with shovels, until the 
whole is reduced to liquid mud and washed below, 
The particles of gold contained in this earth de- 
scend to the trench, where, by reason of their 
specific gravity, they quickly precipitate. Work- 
men are continually employed at the trench to 
remove the stones, and clear away the surface, 
which operation is much assisted by the current 
of water which falls into it. After five days* 
washing, the precipitation in the trench is carried 
to some convenient stream, to undergo a second 



AT JARAGUA, NEAR S. PAULO. 109 

clearance. For this purpose wooden bowls are 
provided, of a funnel shape, about two feet wide 
at the mouth, and five or six inches deep, called 
gamellas. Each workman standing in the stream, 
takes into his bowl five or six pounds weight of 
the sediment, which generally consists of heavy 
matter, such as granular oxide of iron, pyrites, ferru- 
ginous quartz, &c. and often precious stones. They 
admit certain quantities of water into the bowls, 
which they move about so dexterously, that the 
precious metal, separating from the inferior and 
lighter substances, settles to the bottom and sides 
of the vessel. They then rinse their bowls in a 
larger vessel of clean water, leaving the gold in it, 
and begin again. The washing of each bowlful 
occupies from five to eight or nine minutes; the 
gold produced is extremely variable in quantity, 
and in the size of its particles, some of which are 
so minute, that they float, while others are found as 
large as peas, and not unfrequently much larger. 
This operation is superintended by overseers, as 
the result is of considerable importance. When 
the whole is finished, the gold is placed upon a 
brass pan, over a slow fire, to be dried, and at 
a convenient time is taken to the permutation 
office, where it is weighed, and a fifth is reserved 
for the Prince. The remainder is smelted with 
muriate of mercury, then cast into ingots, as- 
sayed, and stamped according to its intrinsic 
value, a certificate of which is given with it; 
after a copy of that instrument has been duly 



110 GOLD WASHINGS OF JARAGUA, 

entered at the mint-office, the ingots circulate as 
specie. 

My attention was strongly engaged by the im- 
mense debris or refuse of old washings, which lay 
in numberless heaps, and contained various sub- 
stances that gave me strong hope of finding some 
interesting and valuable specimens of tourmalines, 
topazes, and other crystallizations, and also a rich 
series of rocks, which form the geognostics of the 
country. So strongly was I prepossessed with 
this hope, that I really fancied I had within my 
reach some of the finest mineral products of Brazil. 
Early one morning, before the sun became too 
hot for work, I set out accompanied by two or 
three men, with iron crows and hammers, whom I 
had engaged to assist me. We broke up immense 
quantities of quartzose and granite-like matter in 
various stages of decomposition, and others of a 
ferruginous kind, but after pursuing the opera- 
tion for three whole days, until my hands could 
no linger wield the hammer, I was obliged to give 
up the search as fruitless ; not a grain of gold did I 
find, nor any thing of the nature of crystallization, 
except some miserable quartz, a little cubic and 
octahedral pyrites, and some very poor maganese! 
In short the substances presented so little novelty, 
and were in themselves so ordinary, that I hesi- 
tated whether I should carry them with me to S. 
Paulo. This disappointment at the first gold 
mines I had seen, not a little dejected me. 



NEAR S. PAULO. 



Ill 



In company with the Governor and his lady, I 
now took a survey of the farm; we walked and 
rode through extensive plantations, the produc- 
tions of which, as well as the mode of culture 
pursued, w r ere similar to those I have already de- 
scribed. Our next recreation was hunting the 
deer. Let not the reader imagine that I am going 
to lead him a chase through miles of country with 
a pack of hounds and a joyous company of horse- 
men ; the mode of hunting in Brazil affords no 
such diversion. Three or four men go out armed 
with guns and attended by two or three dogs ; the 
men separate and wait in some open place ; mean- 
while the dogs quest among the plantations and 
thickets; if they find, they drive the game out, 
which the hunters immediately shoot. The deer 
are small, and of the fallow kind ; but their flesh 
is not esteemed. 

The wild animals of this district are chiefly 
monkeys, sloths, a variety of the porcupine, and 
opossums. These, and other predatory beasts, 
make great havoc among the poultry. Of the 
feathered tribe there are not many varieties ; I shot 
several snipes and beautiful lapwings* with red 
horns on each pinion, about half an inch in length. 
Here are great numbers of parrots and parro- 
quets. 

* The Spur-winged Plover. In the Spanish territories they are called 
disperteros (awakeners), on account of the noise they make when dis- 
turbed in the night. A flock of them in any plantation answers the 
purpose of an alarm-bell against thieves, 



112 



FARM AT JARAGUA. 



The vampire-bat, so often described by travel- 
lers, is a most formidable foe to the horses and 
mules. If he gets access to them in the night, he 
fixes on the neck-vein, above the shoulder, and 
sucks it to such a degree as to leave the animal 
almost covered with blood, fanning with his wings 
all the while he retains his hold, in order (as it 
should seem) to lull the pain caused by his bite. 

The garden has a bed of fine potatoes, which 
were planted three or four years ago by Mr. 
Quarten, from Gibraltar. They are suffered to 
grow and reproduce themselves from season to 
season, none being taken up unless when wanted 
for food. Cabbages and other vegetables for the 
table grow in abundance. 

This farm has the advantage of very fine tim- 
ber in its neighbourhood, and when the improve- 
ments, begun by the governor, are completed, it 
will be well provided with water, brought from a 
distance of six miles, in sufficient quantities to 
wash the hills, and to work the machinery of a 
sugar-mill. On the estate were employed about 
fifty negroes, and half that number of free In- 
dians; the latter ate at their master's expense, and 
earned about sixpence a day; but they appeared 
far less laborious and handy than the negroes. 
They were clearing grounds and making walks in 
a wood, which when finished will render the place 
a most agreeable summer retreat. 

Among the many marks of kindness with which 
the governor honored me, I must not omit his re- 



CITY OF S. PAULO. 



113 



peated assurances, that in the event of war be- 
tween our respective countries, which was then 
talked of, he would not detain me. After re- 
maining here five days, which were rendered as 
agreeable as possible by the polite civilities of my 
host, we set out on our return in the order in 
which we came : the governor and his lady in a 
carriage drawn by four mules,, his aide-de-camp 
and myself on horseback, and six dragoons in 
front, the guard usually attendant on an officer of 
his rank. We arrived at S. Paulo without any 
material occurrence. 

This city is seldom visited by foreigners. The 
passes to it from the coast are so singularly si- 
tuated, that it is almost impossible to avoid the 
guards who are stationed in them, to inspect all 
travellers and merchandize passing into the in- 
terior. Soldiers of the lowest rank on these sta- 
tions have a right to examine all strangers who 
present themselves, and to detain them and their 
property, unless they can produce passports. I 
and my friends in our way hither were thrice 
obliged to exhibit our licence from the governor 
of Santos, which was attested. Our appearance 
at S. Paulo excited considerable curiosity among 
all descriptions of people, who seemed by their 
manner never to have seen Englishmen before; 
the very children testified their astonishment, some 
by running away, others by counting our fingers, 
and exclaiming, that we had the same number 
as they. Many of the good citizens invited us 



114 COSTUME OF THE PAULISTAS. 

to their houses, and sent for their friends to come 
and look at us. As the dwelling we occupied was 
very large, we were frequently entertained by 
crowds of young persons of both sexes, who came 
to the door to see how we ate and drank. It was 
gratifying to us to perceive that this general 
wonder subsided into a more social feeling ; we 
met with civil treatment every where, and were 
frequently invited to dine with the inhabitants. 
At the public parties and balls of the governor 
we found both novelty and pleasure; novelty at 
being much more liberally received than we were 
in the Spanish settlements, and pleasure at being 
in much more refined and polished company. 

The dress of the ladies abroad, and especially at 
church, consists of a garment of black silk, with a 
long veil of the same material, trimmed with 
broad lace ; in the cooler season black cassimere 
or baize. In the same veil they almost always ap- 
pear in the streets, though it has been partially 
superseded by a long coat of coarse woollen, 
edged with velvet, gold lace, fustian, or plush, ac- 
cording to the rank of the wearer. This coat is 
used as a general sort of undress, at home, in their 
evening walks, and on a journey, and the ladies, 
whenever they wear it, appear in round hats. The 
appellation of Paulista is considered by all the 
females here as a great honor; the Paulistas being 
celebrated throughout all Brazil for their attrac- 
tions, and their dignity of character. At table 
they are extremely abstemious; their favorite 



MANNERS OF THE PAULISTAS. 115 

amusement is dancing, in which they display much 
vivacity and grace. At balls and other public 
festivals they generally appear in elegant white 
dresses, with a profusion of gold chains about 
their necks, their hair tastefully disposed and fas- 
tened with combs. Their conversation, at all 
times sprightly, seems to derive additional life 
from music. Indeed the whole range of their edu- 
cation appears to be confined to superficial ac- 
complishments ; they trouble themselves very 
little with domestic concerns, confiding whatever 
relates to the inferior departments of the house- 
hold to the negro or negress cook, and leaving all 
other matters to the management of servants. 
Owing to this indifference, they are total strangers 
to the advantages of that order, neatness, and pro- 
priety, which reign in an English family ; their 
time at home is mostly occupied in sewing, em- 
broidery, and lace-making. Another circumstance 
repugnant to delicacy is, that they have no man- 
tua-makers of their own sex; all articles of fe- 
male dress here are made by tailors. An almost 
universal debility prevails among them, which is 
partly attributable to their abstemious living, but 
chiefly to want of exercise, and to the frequent 
warm-bathings in which they indulge. They are 
extremely attentive to every means of improving 
the delicacy of their persons, perhaps to the in- 
jury of their health. 

The men in general, especially those of the 



116 MANNERS OF THE PAULISTAS. 

higher rank, officers, and others, dress superbly; 
in company they are very polite and attentive, and 
shew every disposition to oblige ; they are great 
talkers and prone to conviviality. The lower 
ranks, compared with those of other colonial 
towns, are in a very advanced state of civiliza- 
tion. It were to be wished that some reform were 
instituted in their system of education ; the child- 
ren of slaves are brought up during their early 
days with those of their masters ; they are play- 
mates and companions, and thus a familiar equality 
is established between them, which has to be for- 
cibly abolished when they arrive at that age, at 
which one must command and live at his ease, 
while the other must labor and obey. It has been 
said, that by thus attaching the slave to his mas- 
ter, in early youth, they ensure his future fidelity, 
but the custom seems fraught with many disad- 
vantages, and ought at least to be so modified as 
to render the yoke of bondage less galling by the 
recollection of former liberty. 

The religious processions here are very splendid, 
grand, and solemn ; they have a striking effect, 
by reason of the profound veneration and enthu- 
siastic zeal manifested by the populace. On par- 
ticular occasions of this kind, all the inhabitants 
of the city attend, and the throng is frequently 
increased by numbers of the neighbouring pea- 
santry for several leagues round. The balconies 
of those houses, which command the best views 



MODE OF LIVING IN S. PAULO. 117 

of the spectacle, are crowded with ladies in their 
gala dresses, who consider the day as a kind of 
festival ; the evening is generally concluded hy tea 
and card-parties or dances. 

We found very little difficulty in accommodat- 
ing ourselves to the general mode of living at S. 
Paulo. The bread is pretty good, and the butter 
tolerable, but rarely used except with coffee for 
breakfast, or tea in the evening. A more common 
breakfast is a very pleasant sort of beans, called 
Jeijoens, boiled or mixed with mandioca. Dinner, 
which is usually served up at noon or before, 
commonly consists of a quantity of greens boiled 
with a little fat pork or beef, a root of the potatoe 
kind, and a stewed fowl, with excellent sallad, to 
which succeeds a great variety of delicious con- 
serves and sweetmeats. Very little wine is taken 
at meals ; the usual beverage is water. On public 
occasions, or when a feast is given to a large 
party, the table is most sumptuously spread; from 
thirty to fifty dishes are served up at once, by 
which arrangement a succession of courses is 
obviated. Wine circulates copiously, and toasts 
are given during the repast, which usually occu- 
pies two or three hours, and is succeeded by 
sweetmeats, the pride of their tables ; after coffee 
the company pass the evening in dancing, music* 
or cards. 

I may here observe, that neither in S. Paulo, 
nor in any other place which I visited, did I wit- 
ness any instance of that levity in the females of 



118 AMUSEMENTS IN S. PAULO, . 

Brazil, which some writers allege to be the lead- 
ing trait in their character. I allude to the cus- 
tom which has been said to prevail among them, 
of throwing flowers from the balconies on such of 
the passers-by, as they take a fancy to, or of pre- 
senting a flower or a nosegay to their favorites, 
as a mark of partiality. The circumstance which 
seems to have given rise to such an ill-founded 
conjecture is this: flowers are here considered an 
indispensable part of the female head-dress, and 
when a stranger is introduced to a lady, it is 
nothing more than an act of common courtesy 
for her to take one from her hair to present 
to him. This elegant compliment he is expected 
to return in the course of the visit, by selecting 
a flower from the profuse variety which adorn 
the garden, or the balcony, and presenting it 
to her. 

One singular custom I must not omit to notice, 
that of throwing artificial fruit, such as lemons or 
oranges, made very delicately of wax and filled 
with perfumed water. On the two first days of 
Lent, which are here celebrated with great festi- 
vity, persons of both sexes amuse themselves by 
throwing these balls at each other ; the lady gene- 
rally begins the game, the gentleman returns it 
with such spirit that it seldom ceases until several 
dozens are thrown, and both parties are as wet 
as if they had been drawn through a river. Some- 
times a lady will dexterously drop one into the 
bosom of a gentleman, which will infallibly oblige 



AT THE CARNIVAL. 119 

him to change his linen, as it usually contains 
three or four ounces of cold water. On these 
days of carnival the inhabitants parade the streets 
in masks, and the diversion of throwing fruit is 
practised by persons of all ages. It is reckoned 
improper for men to throw at each other. The 
manufacture of these missiles, at such periods, 
affords no inconsiderable occupation to certain 
classes of the inhabitants ; I have been informed, 
that in the capital of Brazil, many hundreds of 
people derive a temporary subsistence from the 
sale of them. The practice (as I can testify) is 
very annoying to strangers, and not unfrequently 
engenders quarrels which terminate seriously. 

During our stay here an unpleasant report was 
circulated, that the port of Lisbon was shut 
against the English, and that war was daily ex- 
pected to be declared between the two powers. 
Had it not been for the kindness of the governor 
in offering to permit our departure before he 
should receive orders to the contrary, we should 
have felt ourselves in a very disagreeable predica- 
ment. But news soon arrived that his Royal 
Highness the Prince Regent had left Portugal 
with all the court, and that they were embarked 
for the Brazils, under the escort of a British 
squadron, dispatched by Sir Sidney Smith. This 
intelligence was most joyfully received by the 
Brazilians; they considered, indeed, that the oc- 
cupation of Portugal by the French, was a dis- 
aster very likely to ensue, but they consoled 



1*20 ARRIVAL OF THE PRINCE OF BRAZIL. 

themselves with the hope of receiving a Prince, 
in whose praise every tongue was eloquent, and 
to whose cause every heart was loyal. The Bra- 
zilian empire was considered as established; and 
the worthy bishop consecrated the auspicious era 
by ordaining daily prayers in the cathedral, to in- 
voke, from Divine Providence, the safe arrival of 
the Royal Family. News of their having touched 
at Bahia arrived in about ten days, and was wel- 
comed by every demonstration of public joy, pro- 
cessions, fire-works, &c. Hoping, every day, to 
hear of their arrival at Rio de Janeiro, I made 
all ready for my departure, and devoted the few 
remaining days to a second excursion to the 
gold-mines, and to some farewell visits among 
my friends in the vicinity of S. Paulo. The go- 
vernor and many of the principal inhabitants gave 
us parting invitations, and by their urbanity ren- 
dered the last hours we passed with them at 
once delightful and melancholy. Some of the 
latter accompanied us two leagues on our way, 
and on separating testified the warmest wishes for 
our welfare. 

I never recal to mind the civilities I received at 
this city without the most grateful emotions, in 
which those will best sympathize who have known 
what it is to visit a remote city in a strange coun- 
try, where, according to the narratives of preced- 
ing travellers, nothing prevailed but barbarism 
and inhospitality, and where they have been agree- 
ably undeceived. It may easily be supposed that 



CHARACTER OF THE PAULISTAS. 121 

I found it difficult to reconcile the character of 
the Paulistas, such as I beheld it, with the strange 
accounts of their spurious origin, quoted by mo- 
dern geographers. These accounts, founded on 
the suspicious testimony of the Jesuits of Para- 
guay, and at variance with the best Portuguese 
historians, have been of late most ably confuted 
by an enlightened member of the Royal Academy 
of Sciences at Lisbon*. He fully exposes the in- 
consistencies of Yaissette and Charlevoix, in ascrib- 
ing the origin of S. Paulo to a band of refugees, 
composed of Spaniards, Portuguese, Mestizos, 
Mulattos, and others, who tied hither from vari- 
ous parts of Brazil, and established a free-booting 
republic ; and he satisfactorily shews that the first 
settlers were Indians of Piratininga and Jesuits, 
and that the city, from its first foundation, never 
acknowledged any other sovereignty than that of 
Portugal. The veracity of this account is further 
supported by the predominant character of the 
Paulistas, who, far from inheriting the obloquy, 
which an ancestry of rogues and vagabonds would 
have entailed upon them, have long been famed 
throughout all Brazil for their probity, their in- 
dustry, and the mildness of their mannersf . 

* Fr. Gaspar da Madre de Dcos. 

t I may also add their public spirit in resenting injuries done to in- 
dividuals, and in supporting the cause of the oppressed; a singular in 
stance of which I have often heard related. Some seventy years ago, 
one of their governors, who was a nobleman, had an intrigue with the 
daughter of a mechanic. The whole town espoused the cause of the 
injured female, and compelled the governor, at the peril of his life, 
to marry her. 



122 



CHAP. VI. 

Coasting Voyage from Santos to Sapitiva/ and 
Journey thence to Rio de Janeiro. 

WE left S. Paulo at ten in the morning, and took 
the same road to Santos by which we had come, 
there being no other, fit to travel. On the fol- 
lowing day, before noon, we arrived at Cubatao, 
where we were detained by rain, until four in the 
afternoon. About seven we arrived at Santos, 
and as we were provided with a letter of intro- 
duction to a judge, and another to a merchant, 
we relied on a kinder welcome than we had met 
with on our first visit, the more so as we came 
from S. Paulo. We were, however, deceived. 
The judge received us coldly, and when I asked 
him where the person lived to whom our other let- 
ter was addressed, he seemed quite rejoiced at the 
opportunity for shewing us out of his house. The 
merchant was as frigid as the judge, and made us 
a paltry excuse. We then repaired to an apothe- 
cary, from whom we had experienced some acts 
of urbanity, and who had attended one of our 
friends, who, having left S. Paulo in a bad state 
of health, had waited here three weeks for a pas- 
sage to Rio de Janeiro. After telling him our 
situation, and stating that the wet weather pre- 
vented us from passing the night in our canoe, he 



COASTING VOYAGE. 



123 



kindly offered us his shop-floor for a lodging, it 
being the only place under cover he had to spare. 
We commissioned him to offer four dollars to any 
of his neighbours who would admit us for the 
night, but he said it would be of no avail, as the 
people of Santos were proverbially notorious for 
their want of hospitality. The great influx of 
strangers and renegadoes from all nations into this 
and other towns on the coast, had completely 
steeled the hearts of the people against those claims 
on their good-will, which the inhabitants of the 
interior, less frequently imposed upon, are ever 
ready to acknowledge and to satisfy. 

Thus disappointed, weresolved not to wait at San- 
tos for a ship, but to proceed to Rio de Janeiro, 
along the coast, in a canoe. Having hired one we 
embarked, and after rowing all night in a strait be- 
tween the continent and the island of S. Thomas, 
which forms one of the passages to Santos from 
sea, we arrived by sun-rise at Bertioga, situated 
at the north end of that island. It is a village, 
consisting of some tolerably good buildings, erect- 
ed for the convenience of the Capitao Mor and 
his attendants, who superintend a fishing estab- 
lishment here, similar to that near St. Catherine's, 
and belonging to the same company, but very 
much inferior in extent and capacity. At 
both places the most expert of the negroes are 
employed in dressing whalebone, which is a con- 
siderable article of commerce, though smaller and 
less valuable than that of the Greenland whale. 



124 



COASTING VOYAGE FROM 



Along the coast which we passed, are several fine 
bays, where, in the best times of the fishery, large 
quantities of whales were annually caught. The 
buildings for boiling the blubber and storing the 
oil were conveniently situated. 

The fine harbour of Bertioga is well sheltered 
from all winds, and the town itself, being situated 
at the foot of a hill, is protected from the incle- 
mencies of the weather, and is at times inconve- 
niently warm. The basis of the hill is primitive 
granite, composed of hornblende, feldspar, quartz, 
and mica. Fine springs of water, bursting from 
various parts, give variety to the scenery, and an 
agreeable freshness to the air. Though the place 
bore the appearance of poverty, we observed no 
signs of want ; the sea affords great plenty and 
variety of eatable fish, and the soil produces pulse, 
of various sorts, and rice, quantities of which we 
saw loading in boats for Santos. The people with 
whom we had to treat used us civilly, and seemed 
anxious to anticipate and to gratify all our re- 
quests. As the Capitao Mor was ill, he could not 
render us any assistance in procuring a passage for 
St. Sebastian; we were therefore obliged to hire 
the canoe to go forward. 

A strong current setting in-shore detained us 
until midnight; we then took advantage of a calm 
which succeeded, and rowed away for a headland 
to the eastward, near which we arrived about sun- 
rise, after a most laborious passage. The shore 
was quite solitary, with the exception of two very 



SANTOS TO SAPITIVA. 



125 



miserable huts, at which we could procure no bet- 
ter a breakfast than muscles. The face of the 
country is low and sandy, covered with underwood 
and groups of trees, and watered by rivulets from 
a range of mountains apparently about two leagues 
distant. 

A breeze springing up about mid-day, we again 
embarked, but after contending with both ele- 
ments for four hours, we were obliged again to 
take to our oars, in order to reach Porto d'Una 
before sun-set, which, with considerable exertion, 
we effected. At this place we observed a large 
plantation, belonging to a religious society at San- 
tos, who hence derive a great part of their main- 
tenance. After waiting till two in the morning 
for a change either of wind or current, we got 
out of port and proceeded on our voyage to Rio 
de Janeiro. We rowed against the wind till day- 
light, and then found ourselves near a bluff head- 
land with steep rocks, forming a good harbour for 
boats, called Toque Toque, where we arrived 
about nine o'clock, having passed several conical 
islands, which are not laid down in any chart that 
I have hitherto seen. Off the point of Toque 
Toque, extends the fine island of St. Sebastian; 
the strait between it and the main affords an ex- 
cellent passage, and a good harbour for ships 
of war. 

The wind still blowing fresh against us, we 
rested awhile, and were amused by watching some 
fishermen haul their nets ashore with large draughts 



126 COASTING VOYAGE FROM 

of cavallos in them. These fish weigh from fif- 
teen to twenty pounds each, and are caught in 
great numbers along this coast. 

Passing point Toque Toque at noon, we en- 
tered the strait of St. Sebastian. Its width is 
about two leagues ; the land on both sides is bold 
and steep, and being well cultivated has a very 
grand and rich appearance. The varied foliage 
of the trees, and the different shades of verdure in 
the enclosures, combined with the romantic situ^ 
ations of the houses dispersed among them, pre- 
sented a view worthy the ablest pencil ; we had 
full leisure to enjoy it, for the wind being still ad- 
verse, our progress depended on the toil of our 
wearied boatmen. Several vessels, going the con- 
trary way, passed us in full sail, the crews of 
which added to our chagrin by ironically wishing 
us a pleasant voyage. At four in the afternoon 
we arrived at the town of St. Sebastian, situated 
on a low tract of ground about three hundred 
yards from the beach. The inhabitants, amount- 
ing to two or three thousand, are an indigent and 
not very industrious people ; they subsist chiefly 
on fish, which was the only food we could pro- 
cure during the three days we staid among them. 
There are some inconsiderable plantations in the 
neighbourhood, where a little indigo is made, and 
some tolerably good tobacco is grown. This 
town is noted (and formerly was much more so) 
for its very large canoes scooped out of the solid 
timber ; some of them I have seen of almost in- 



SANTOS TO SAPITIVA. 127 

credible dimensions. The civil government is en- 
trusted to a Capitao Mor, whose authority is sup- 
ported by a garrison of ten or fifteen soldiers 
under the command of an ensign. At the house 
of the latter we took up our abode, while waiting 
for an opportunity to hire a large canoe to carry 
us to Sapitiva, near Rio de Janeiro. The people 
with whom we had to bargain, used every petty 
means to thwart and impose upon us, and our host 
shewed no disposition to protect us against their 
chicanery, so that we encountered many vexatious 
delays ere we could accomplish our purpose. 

This place is by no means a desirable, or in- 
deed, a tolerable residence for a stranger; it is 
exposed to all the inconveniencies peculiar to low 
and sandy situations ; the hot unwholesome wea- 
ther, seldom refreshed by a breeze, tends to mul- 
tiply the immense swarms of mosquitos, which 
constitute one of the plagues of the torrid zone. 
The neighbouring island, on the contrary, being 
more elevated, has the advantage of a freer air, 
and is therefore less annoyed by these trouble- 
some insects. It has the reputation of producing 
the best sugar, rum, and pulse, as well as the 
finest cattle in all Brazil, and these advantages, 
joined to its convenient situation, must render a 
plantation upon it highly valuable. In common 
with the opposite shore, and the rocks observable 
in various parts of the straits, the island appears to 
be composed of the same variety of granite I have 
before described. Near the town of St. Sebas- 



128 COASTING VOYAGE FROM 

tian's, I found some large pieces of green-stone, 
which, when struck, emitted a very clear sound; 
fragments of limestone were abundant on the 
beach, but these probably were part of some ves- 
sel's ballast, which had been thrown overboard in 
the bay, and washed ashore. 

Having at length hired a canoe, we embarked 
for a village about five miles distant, called Bayro, 
where we arrived safe, and staid all night at the 
house of a fisherman, who undertook the charge 
of our navigation until we should arrive at Sapi- 
tiva. Bayro is a pretty but poor village, built 
near the beach, and is chiefly noted as being the 
place where most of the earthen-ware, used at 
Rio de Janeiro, is made. The clay appears to be 
formed by the decomposition of feldspar. Here 
is a large convent, well built, and finely situated, 
fronting the bay and near the sea. 

About nine in the morning, we embarked in 
our canoe, which was forty feet long, covered 
with an awning, and rowed by six men. In the 
afternoon we arrived at Porcos, a fine, bold, coni- 
cal island, with good anchorage, but no port. Its 
coasts abound with excellent fish. Here was sta- 
tioned a guard of soldiers to prevent contraband 
trade, and to give information respecting it; the 
officer, an ensign, made us welcome to all he had, 
and treated us with great kindness during our 
short stay. Leaving this place at two in the 
morning, we rowed through an archipelago of 
islets, and arrived at Porto Negro, within four 



SANTOS TO SAPITIVA. 129 

leagues of Ilha Grande, and the morning following 
reached a bay in that island. The land is, in ge- 
neral, very high and irregular ; in the interior it 
is well wooded, and contains some excellent iron 
ore, which is very little known. Its coasts are 
but partially inhabited. The strait, which sepa- 
rates it from the main land, is an excellent har- 
bour in all its extent, and was the rendezvous 
of some English privateers during our war with 
Spain. The country, in its vicinity, is well clothed 
w T ith large timber, and appears very fruitful, but 
is thinly peopled by a set of men, whose manners 
and pursuits denote them to be outcasts from 
society. In the evening we entered a fine bay, 
and procured some refreshment at a house on the 
beach, where we intended to pass the night, but a 
plan had been laid to rob us, and we were obliged, 
on discovering it, to re-embark before day-break, 
much rejoiced at having narrowly escaped the 
loss of our property and our lives. Pursuing our 
course among the many islands, with which this 
part of the coast is studded, we passed the beau- 
tiful and fertile island of Madeira, and, at noon, 
crossed two wide bays. A favorable breeze 
now, for the first time, sprung up, which lasted 
until we arrived at Sapitiva, and here ended our 
romantic canoe-voyage. 

I would strongly impress on every traveller, 
pursuing a similar course, the expediency of pro- 
viding himself with a soldier commissioned to 
attend him, and to protect his person and pro- 

K 



130 JOURNEY TO RIO DE JANEIRO. 

perty against the evil-minded persons, who prowl 
about the coast in search of plunder, and greedily 
seek every opportunity of securing, by fraud 
or force, the property of defenceless passengers. 
We had more than once occasion to rue the neg- 
lect of this precaution. 

At Sapitiva, we met with excellent accom- 
modations. The owner of the house at which 
we put up, furnished us with a plentiful supper 
of fish, fowls, coffee, and excellent sweetmeats, 
which we relished the more from having, for 
eight days, subsisted wholly on fish. Our lodg- 
ings were tolerably comfortable, and were ren- 
dered more so by the earnestness with which 
every one in the family strove to please us. 
At sun-rise next morning, after diverting myself 
with shooting a few horned plovers on the beach, 
I took a survey of the romantic scenery around. 
Here are a few poor houses, and some planta- 
tions of indigo, sugar, and pulse. The beach 
is lined with fine aloes, and presents an interest- 
ing view of several islets in front of the bay, 
the most conspicuous of which is Madeira, be- 
fore-mentioned. In another direction is seen that 
of Ilha Grande. Four leagues distant from Sa- 
pitiva is Santa Cruz, formerly the property of 
the Jesuits, and now the royal farm of the Prince 
Regent of Portugal, of which I shall have occa- 
sion, in the sequel, to speak more at large. 

After settling with our host, we hired mules to 
carry us to Rio de Janeiro, distant forty miles. 



JOURNEY TO RIO DE JANEIRO. 131 

Owing to the weight of our baggage, we travelled 
but slowly: this, however, we did not regret, as 
the fatigues of our coasting-voyage rendered us 
rather averse to violent exertion. Proceeding 
through a low sandy country, covered with wood, 
for about three leagues, we skirted the boundary 
of the Prince's farm, which encloses some of the 
finest and most fertile plains in South America, 
and gives employment to upward of fifteen hun- 
dred negroes. We soon afterwards reached the 
main road, which in general is very good, but the 
lands about it are little cleared, and seem almost 
destitute of cultivators. In the course of twenty 
miles, we saw only one house that deserved the 
name of a plantation ; the only dwellings by the 
way-side were miserable huts and dram-shops, ex- 
hibiting deplorable symptoms of sloth and poverty. 
Before sun-set we halted at a kind of inn, where 
our mules were turned out to grass, and a supper 
was provided for us of fowls, milk, and coffee. The 
house, though pleasantly situated on an eminence 
among orange-groves and coffee-trees, was miser- 
ably deficient in those conveniences which its ex- 
terior had announced. The room where we 
supped was lighted by a 1 small poor lamp, (here 
being no candles,) and the floor was so uneven, 
that our table stood on only two of its four legs. 
Tired with this cheerless gloom, we ordered our 
beds to be unpacked, and retired to rest. The 
want of candle-light is a serious inconvenience to 
travellers in all parts of Brazil, and no one ought 



132 JOURNEY TO RIO DE JANEIRO. 

to undertake a journey without an ample provi- 
sion of candles, with the necessary implements for 
using them. Snuffers are articles of luxury, very 
rarely to be met with, except as curiosities. I 
need not add that beds are an equally indispens- 
able part of a traveller's equipage. 

We resumed our journey at an early hour next 
day, along an excellent road in the middle of a 
valley, formed by lofty mountains. After tra- 
velling about three miles, we came to a house, 
called the Padeira (bake-house), which is reckoned 
half way between Sapitiva and the capital. From 
this place the road gradually becomes more en- 
livened by dwellings and plantations, (but many 
of the former, are wretched hovels erected for the 
sale of bacon, corn, liquors, &c.) and by numbers 
of countrymen bringing produce from every part 
of the south-west, even from the far districts of 
Goyazes, Coritiva, Cuyaba, S. Paulo, and Mato 
Grosso. It is not uncommon to see eight hundred 
or a thousand mules passing and repassing in the 
course of a day, besides numerous droves of fine 
cattle for the use of the city. Our heavy-laden 
and weary mules travelled so slowly, that we did 
not come within sight of Rio de Janeiro, until 
about three in the afternoon. On reaching the 
eminence, which commanded the first prospect of 
this fine city, our joyful sensations banished every 
feeling of fatigue. One of the party, who had ad- 
vanced a few paces, rode back as fast as his mule 
could go, exclaiming, " the English flag." We 



JOURNEY TO RIO DE JANEIRO. 133 

hastened onward, and beheld one of the most wel- 
come sights that ever greeted the eyes of a tra- 
veller, with a remembrance of his native country — 
a squadron of our men of war at anchor in the 
bay, which had recently escorted the court of Por- 
tugal to an asylum in their own dominions, be- 
yond the reach of their foes. We no longer felt 
uneasy at the thought of entering a large city in- 
habited by strangers ; we knew that the name of 
Englishman would be a passport among them, and 
we anticipated something of that delight which is 
connected with the near prospect of home. I, 
who had for eighteen months lingered in exile, 
and beheld each setting sun close another day of 
almost hopeless captivity, enjoyed this evening- 
scene with indescribable emotion ; it was here, that, 
for the first time since my landing in South Ame- 
rica, I had just reason to promise myself a night's 
repose in freedom, safety, and peace. 

We soon reached the suburbs, which are very 
large and pleasant, being agreeably interspersed 
with gardens and pleasure-grounds. About five 
o'clock we halted in the vicinity of Campo de 
Santa Anna, at an inn, or rather hostelry for 
cattle, whence, having secured our baggage in the 
miserable stall allotted to us, we sallied forth in 
search of the friends who left us at St. Catherine's. 
Accustomed, as we long had been, to rude and so- 
litary scenes, we were forcibly struck with the 
opulence of this city, displayed in its magnificent 
buildings and regular streets. While engaged in 



134 JOURNEY TO RIO DE JANEIRO. 

anxious enquiries after our friends,, we accidentally 
met one of them, who, with unspeakable joy, con- 
ducted us to the rest ; and the evening was passed 
most agreeably in relating our several encounters, 
and in asking and answering innumerable ques- 
tions. Returning to our inn at midnight, we re- 
mained with our luggage until morning, when we 
carted it up to the house of our friends in Rua 
dos Pescadores. 

During our journey from Sapitiva to Rio de 
Janeiro, we had not much leisure for geological 
observation. The stratum, in the course of the 
route, appeared to be generally granite, like that 
before described. In some parts we observed large 
stones, approximating to green-stone, and in other 
parts we found fine clay. Nearer to the capital, 
and particularly in the environs of St. Cristovao, 
the Prince's country-palace, the stratum has a 
gneiss-like appearance, and produces some fine 
specimens of feldspar. In the precincts of the 
city, there is an extensive flat, covered with man- 
groves, and overflowed by the tide. At the foot 
of the mountains which bound it, are quarries of 
granite, large blocks of which are raised for build- 
ing purposes, as well as for paving the streets of 
the city. 



135 



CHAP. VII. 

Description of Hi o tie Janeiro Trade. — State 

of Society Visit to the Prince Regent's Farm 

at Santa Cru%. 

RIO DE JANEIRO has been so often described 
by former travellers, that, were I to confine my- 
self to the supply of what they have omitted, or to 
the correction of their mis-statements, my task 
would be speedily performed, but, as I have uni- 
formly chosen to write freely from my own obser- 
vation rather than follow the track of others, I 
shall trespass on the reader with a more detailed 
account than he might perhaps require. It will, 
however, be recollected that the period at which I 
visited this capital, being a political sera in the an- 
nals of Brazil, is sufficiently interesting to excuse, 
if not to justify me in the attempt to improve upon 
descriptions of an earlier date, though at the risk 
of a little repetition. 

The finest view of the city is from the harbour*, 
whence its lofty eminence crowned with convents, 
and the hills in its environs, interspersed with 

* Had I approached this city by sea, I might have been enabled to 
give a more animated description of its aspect; but I feel it incumbent 
on me to adhere to veracity, the first duty of a traveller, and to de- 
scribe the impression made on my mind by the view as I approached 
by land on my route from S. Paulo. 



136 DESCRIPTION OF RIO DE JANEIRO. 

villas and gardens, have a rich and magnificent 
appearance. The royal palace skirts the beach, 
and is seen to great advantage from the principal 
landing-place, which is within sixty yards of its 
doors. This palace, though small, is the residence 
of the Prince Regent and the royal family : the 
mint and the royal chapel form parts of the struc- 
ture. Parallel with the beach runs the main street, 
consisting of noble buildings, called Rua Dereita, 
from which the minor streets branch off at right 
angles, and are intersected by others at regular 
distances. 

Some idea of the extent of the city may be 
formed from the population, which, including the 
negroes, (its most numerous portion,) is estimated 
at a hundred thousand souls: the dwellings, at 
the out-skirts, are generally of one story only. 

The numerous convents and churches are well 
built, and rather handsome; the church of Cande- 
laria, now finished, is in a superior style of archi- 
tecture. The streets were formerly incommoded 
by latticed balconies, which had a very heavy ap- 
pearance and obstructed the circulation of the air, 
but they have been taken away by order of Go- 
vernment. The greatest nuisances now remaining 
are those which arise from the custom of persons 
of all ranks on horseback to ride on the foot-paths, 
and from the preposterous hanging of shop and 
house-doors, which all open outward into the 
street, to the great annoyance of foot-passengers : 
I may also add the frequent pools of stagnant wa- 



DESCRIPTION OF RIO DE JANEIRO. 137 



ter, which, from the lowness of the site, cannot 
without much labor be drained away, and which, 
through the heat of the weather, often emit the most 
putrid exhalations. Water for the use of the city 
flows from the hills through aqueducts, and is dis- 
tributed to several fountains in various public 
places. It is to be regretted that there are not 
more of these for the supply of the inhabitants*, 
numbers of whom live a mile distant from any of 
them, and are obliged to employ persons conti- 
nually in carrying water: many of the poorer 
classes earn a living by selling it. The fountains 
in dry weather are frequently so crowded, that 
the carriers have to wait for hours before they can 
be supplied. The water is good, and, when kept 
in large jars, drinks cool and pleasant. The inns 
and public houses are almost destitute of accom- 
modations, and so very uncomfortable that a 
stranger will not reside in them if he can find a 
friend to take him in. House-rent, after the 
arrival of the Royal Family, became equally 
high as in London, owing, it should seem, to 
the dearness of building materials, and the high 
price of masonry. Timber in particular is unac- 
countably scarce, considering the quantity which 
grows in almost every part of Brazil ; even fire- 
wood is dear. Provisions are in general plentiful, 
but not very choice in quality : the beef is very in- 

* Several have been established since the time when this narrative 
was written. 



138 DESCRIPTION OF RIO DE JANEIRO. 

different, and indeed bad ; the pork is better, and, 
if the feeding were properly attended to, might be 
rendered fine ; mutton is almost unknown, as the 
natives will not eat it*; the poultry of every 
description is excellent, but it is very dear. 
Pulse and vegetables of all kinds are very abund- 
ant, and the fish-market is not ill supplied. Turtles 
are frequently caught, as well as a great variety of 
fish; there are abundance of very fine large prawns. 
The oysters and muscles, though not equal to 
ours, are very tolerable. 

Owing to its low situation, and the general filthi- 
ness of its streets, Rio de Janeiro cannot be called 
healthful. Improvements are now r making which 
will in part remedy these evils ; but other causes 
tend to increase the insalubrity of the air, and to 
spread contagious distempers, the principal of 
which are the large importations of negroes from 
Africa, who commonly land in a sickly state, the 
consequence of close confinement during a hot 
voyage. It is much to be regretted that the city 
was not originally built on the plan of those in the 
Netherlands, with canals for brigs and small ves- 
sels, which might then have been unloaded at the 
doors of the warehouses: such an improvement 
would have also greatly tended to the cleanliness 
and salubrity of the town. 



* By way of experiment, I had scniefat ewes killed, and the mut- 
ton was acknowledged to be excellent; but the male lambs are pel er 
I repared for the table. 



DESCRIPTION OF RIO DE JANEIRO. 139 

The police is by no means ill regulated ; and, 
from the attention which has been paid to it since 
the arrival of the court, there is every hope that 
it will be placed on a footing equally respectable 
with that of any European capital. The prisons 
are loathsome, and require the benevolent genius 
of a Howard to reform them altogether. One 
great step in favor of humanity has been gained : 
the inquisition has been abolished, and with it the 
spirit of persecution, so that no one can now be 
offended for his theological tenets, unless he openly 
insult the established religion. 

This city is the chief mart of Brazil, and espe- 
cially of the provinces of Minas Geraes, S. Paulo, 
Goyazes, Cuyaba, and Coritiva. The mining dis- 
tricts, being most populous, require the greatest 
proportion of consumable goods, and in return 
send the most valuable articles of commerce, hence 
innumerable troops of mules are continually tra- 
veiling to and from those districts ; their common 
burden is about three hundred weight each, which 
they carry to the almost incredible distance of 1500 
or 2000 miles. Their homeward freight consists 
chiefly of salt for the consumption of the cattle, 
and iron for the working of the mines, and goods 
of all descriptions. 

No colonial port in the world is so well situated 
for general commerce as Rio de Janeiro. It en- 
joys, beyond any other, an equal convenience of 
intercourse with Europe, America, Africa, the 
East Indies, and the South Sea Islands, and seems 
formed by nature as the grand link to connect the 



110 



TRADE. 



trade of those great portions of the globe. Com- 
manding also, as the capital of a rich and exten- 
sive territory, resources of immense amount and 
value, it seemed to require only the presence of 
an efficient government to give it political import- 
ance,, and this advantage it has now gained by 
becoming the chosen residence of the court of 
Portugal. The benefits resulting from this great 
event had but just begun to display themselves at 
the period to which this narrative refers ; and the 
commercial relations of Rio de Janeiro, though 
considerably augmented, were still but in their 
germ. I shall proceed to state them according 
to the best information I was then able to pro- 
cure. 

The imports hither from the River Plate, and 
from Rio Grande de St. Pedro, consist in immense 
quantities of dried beef, tallow, hides, and wheat. 
Those from the United States are chiefly salt pro- 
visions, flour, household furniture, pitch, and tar. 
The North Americans generally send cargoes of 
these articles on speculation, and, as the market 
for them is fluctuating and not to be depended on, 
they frequently take them to other ports. Their 
provisions are commonly sent to the Cape of Good 
Hope. They bring European merchandize, which 
they exchange for specie wherewith to trade to 
China, and also take in necessaries on their voy- 
ages to the South Seas. 

From the western coast of Africa, Rio de Ja- 
neiro imports wax, oil, elephant's teeth, gum, 
sulphur, and some woods. The negro trade has 



TRADE. 



141 



been restricted to the kingdom of Angola by a de- 
cree of the Prince Regent,, who has declared his 
intention of abolishing it altogether as soon as 
possible. 

The trade to Mozambique is trivial ; but, since 
the capture of the Isle of France by the British 
has cleared that coast from French privateers, it 
may be expected to increase. It affords many va- 
luable products, such as gold-dust, brought from 
the interior, ivory, of which the Prince monopo- 
lizes the largest sort, ebony and other fine woods, 
drugs, oil, excellent columbo-root, and an abun- 
dance of various gums, particularly of the gum 
meni. The whale fisheries on the coast have proved 
a source of riches to many speculators. 

The intercourse of this port with India, in com- 
mon with Mozambique, has been much annoyed 
by the privateers of the Isle of France, and will 
therefore, in all probability, florish equally by their 
suppression. A voyage thither and back is per- 
formed with great expedition: one large ship of 
eight hundred tons sailed, loaded atSurat, and re- 
turned within the space of seven months. A voy- 
age to China seldom occupies a longer period. 
The trade thither will no doubt be revived, and it 
is not improbable that this port may, at no great 
distance of time, become an entrepot for India goods 
destined for Europe. 

Rio de J aneiro is conveniently situated for sup- 
plying a great variety of necessaries to the Cape 
of Good Hope and to New South Wales; indeed, 
of late years, English manufactures have been sold 



142 



TRADE. 



here so cheap, that it has been found more advan- 
tageous to ship them hence for those colonies than 
from home. Ships going on the South Sea whale- 
fishery touch here, and lay in large quantities of 
spirituous liquors, wine, sugar, coffee, tobacco, 
soap, and live stock. 

The imports from the mother-country consist 
chiefly in vinegar, hardware, coarse linen, hats, 
silks, wine, and oil. From Sweden some iron, also 
pitch and tar are occasionally brought : it is pre- 
ferred to English iron, particularly for mules' 
shoes, on account of its greater ductility. 

The exports consist principally of cotton, sugar, 
rum, coffee, rice, ship-timber, various fine cabinet- 
woods,hides, tallow, indigo, and coarse cotton cloths, 
in immense quantities, for clothing the Peons in the 
provinces of the River Plate. Among the more 
precious articles of export may be enumerated 
gold, in chains and other ornaments, diamonds, 
topazes of various colors, amethysts, tourmalines, 
(that are frequently sold for emeralds), chrysobe- 
ryls, aqua-marinas, and wrought jewelry. 

This market has been greatly overstocked with 
English manufactures, in consequence of the san- 
guine speculations to which our merchants were in- 
cited by the late emigration. The supply exceeded 
the demand in a tenfold degree, and the excess gave 
rise to auctions, where goods were sold at unpre* 
cedentedly reduced prices. In proportion as Eng- 
lish merchandize lowered, that of Brazil rose in 
value ; and so great was the demand for it, owing 
to the numerous vessels waiting for cargoes, that 



TRADE, 



143 



within a year after the arrival of the Prince Re- 
gent, the price of every article of produce was 
doubled. Gold quickly disappeared ; for the mo- 
nied Portuguese, perceiving the avidity and im- 
politic eagerness with which the English forced 
their goods upon them, cautiously withheld their 
specie, and, by the alternative of barter, got rid 
of their own produce at a very high price, and ob- 
tained our merchandize almost at their own va- 
luation. The losing party in this unequal traffic, 
though they had chiefly to blame their own im- 
prudence in engaging in it, were loud in their 
complaints and remonstrances against the Portu- 
guese merchants. A treaty of commerce was 
concluded, by which the duties on English mer- 
chandize were fixed at fifteen per cent, while other 
nations were to pay twenty-four per cent, ad valorem. 
A judge was appointed to attend solely to the con- 
cerns of the English, and to see justice done them : 
he was entitled the Juiz Conservador of the 
English nation. The person who now fills this 
important office is one of the most enlightened 
and upright of men; his official conduct, of which 
I have seen much, has secured him the respect of 
all parties, and has done credit to the choice of 
the Prince Regent, confirmed by the approval of 
his Excellency Lord Strangford. Further to cul- 
tivate and extend the interests of commerce, his 
Royal Highness has established a Board of Trade, 
in which are some experienced and intelligent 
men, to whose consideration every particular case, 



144 



TRADE. 



and every new regulation, is referred. One of the 
members of this Board, Dr. Jose da Silva Lisboa, 
has greatly distinguished himself by his zeal for 
the English nation, displayed in various publica- 
tions on commerce, particularly in one dated May 
1810, which contains a fund of solid argument on 
the principles laid down and acknowledged by our 
most celebrated statesmen and political writers. 
It is to be hoped that the diffusion of views so li- 
beral, under the auspices of ministers, will banish 
that narrow-minded jealousy with which certain 
opulent individuals of the Brazilian capital regard 
the English merchants, whom they stigmatize as 
intruders ; and that the general interests of com- 
merce in this thriving colony will gain, through 
fair competition, what they have heretofore lost 
through overstocked markets. 

The business of the custom-house, although still 
shackled with many troublesome and tedious re- 
gulations, especially with regard to small articles, 
has been considerably simplified ; and in all cases, 
where a stranger finds himself at a loss how to 
proceed, he is sure to have every difficulty ex- 
plained, and every obstacle removed, by appeal- 
ing to the judge who presides over this depart r 
ment. The liberality and disinterestedness of this 
excellent officer are the more generally felt and ac- 
knowledged, from an apprehension of the incon- 
veniences with which his situation might enable 
him to embarrass the trade, if he were inclined 
to a more rigorous execution of the laws. 



THE BRITISH MINISTER. 



145 



In mentioning the advantages which have re- 
sulted to the English merchants from the liberality 
of the persons in office, I ought not to omit stat- 
ing that much has been effected through the exer- 
tions of the British minister, who, while pursuing 
that conciliatory and moderate line of conduct, 
which gained him the esteem of the Prince Re- 
gent, ever firmly upheld the interests of his na- 
tion ; and in all deliberations concerning them, re- 
served to himself the casting vote. With respect 
to individuals, it is true that he declined to be 
troubled on every trivial occasion, and scrupu- 
lously discountenanced every covert attempt at 
monopoly or peculation, from whatever quarter it 
came ; but in great questions he acted with promp- 
titude and decision; nor was he averse to use his 
influence in favor of a private individual, when a 
candid and manly appeal was made to him. Con- 
sidering the peculiar circumstances attending his 
embassy, and also the jarring interests he had to 
reconcile, Lord Strangford conducted himself in 
a way highly honorable to his talents and cha- 
racter ; and in continuing to merit the confidence 
of his own court, secured that of the Prince 
Regent and all his ministers. The treaty of com- 
merce is a proof of the harmony which subsists 
between them, and may be regarded on our part as 
the most advantageous that, in the existing posture 
of affairs, could have been procured. 

The harbour is easy of entrance and egress, ge- 
nerally speaking, at all times, as there is a daily 

L 



146 



STATE OF SOCIETY 



alternation of land and sea breeze, the former 
blowing until about noon, and the latter from that 
hour until sun-set. Ships find here every conve- 
niency for repairing, heaving down, &c. but it is 
to be hoped that docks will soon be formed, which 
will render the latter troublesome and dangerous 
operation unnecessary. There is an anchorage- 
duty paid, which forms an item in the bill of port 
charges. 

Of the state of society in Rio de Janeiro, what 
I have to observe differs little from the description 
of the Paulistas given. The same habits and 
manners prevail at both places, allowing for some 
slight variation, caused by the greater influx of 
strangers to the capital. The Portuguese are in 
general rather punctilious and reserved in admit- 
ting a foreigner to their family parties ; but hav- 
ing once received him, they are open and hospit- 
able. The ladies are affable and courteous to 
strangers, extremely fond of dress, but less proud 
than those of other nations. In their mixed as- 
semblies the utmost gaiety prevails, and is season- 
ed by that finished politeness for which the Por- 
tuguese are generally distinguished. The conver- 
sation of the best bred men, however, is more 
lively than instructive ; for education is here at a 
low ebb, and comprehends a very limited course 
of literature and science. It is proper to add that, 
since the arrival of the court, measures have been 
adopted for effecting a thorough reform in the se- 
minaries, and other institutions for public instruc- 



IN RIO DE JANEIRO. 



147 



tion ; and that the Prince Regent, in his solici- 
tude for the good of his subjects, has zealously 
patronized every attempt to diffuse among them a 
taste for useful knowledge. Under his auspices, 
the college of S. J oaquim has undergone consider- 
able improvement : a lectureship on chemistry has 
been instituted, to which our countryman, Dr. 
Gardner, has been nominated by his Royal High- 
ness ; and it is to be hoped that from this appoint- 
ment may be dated the introduction of experi- 
mental philosophy in that establishment. 

Resuming my narrative, I am bound in grati- 
tude to state that the reception I met with here 
exceeded my most sanguine hopes, and far more 
so any individual pretensions on which I could 
ground them. I must attribute it to the letter of 
introduction to the Viceroy, with which the 
Portuguese minister in London honored me 
on my departure thence, and which I presented 
to his noble relative, the Conde de Linhares, 
minister for foreign affairs. This distinguish- 
ed statesman shewed me every attention, and 
granted me every privilege I could ask, so that, 
through his kind condescension, all went well with 
me. I may state this without incurring the im- 
putation of vanity, since it is only one among the 
numerous proofs he has given of his disposition 
to serve the English by every means in his 
power. 

A few weeks after my arrival, I solicited per- 
mission of His Excellency the Conde de Linhares 



148 VISIT TO THE PRINCE'S FARM 

to work an iron mine at Guaraceaba, representing 
at the same time the immense advantages which 
might accrue to the state from such an experi- 
ment, by opening its own resources for the sup- 
ply of that useful metal. He in part assented to 
the proposal, but expressed a wish that I should 
previously devote a few days to an inspection of 
the Prince's farm at Santa Cruz, and on my re- 
turn make a report of the state in which I found 
it. While preparing for my journey, it was in- 
timated to me as the Prince's particular desire, 
that I should endeavour to establish a dairy on the 
principle of those in England, and direct the peo- 
ple in the management of it, to which I readily 
assented. Being provided with horses and a 
soldier to attend me, I set out on the journey ac- 
companied by a gentleman named Paroissien, 
whose amiable disposition and scientific pursuits 
rendered him a very useful companion. After 
about fifty miles hard riding, we arrived at the 
farm about six in the evening, much fatigued. 
The accommodations we met with, fully explained 
to me the motive of His Royal Highness's mi- 
nister in enquiring into the state of his domain. 
Having presented my official letters, I was ob- 
liged to wait until ten o'clock before the slightest 
refreshment could be procured; not a dish of 
coffee was to be had ; the only fare set before us 
was some lean beef half-boiled, certainly the worst 
I had ever tasted in Brazil. The mulatto who at- 
tended us engaged to have breakfast ready by seven 



AT SANTA CRUZ. 



119 



next morning ; we were in readiness at the hour, and 
though told it was coming immediately, we waited 
three hours, when just as we were ordering out the 
horses to Rio to avoid being famished, the repast 
was announced, with an excuse that it could not 
come sooner, because no milk could be procured. 

I then took a survey of the establishment and 
rode over the grounds. The house, I was in- 
formed, was once a convent of Jesuits, who pos- 
sessed also the extensive tract of land attached to 
it, which they managed much better than their 
successors, if we may judge by the remains of their 
undertakings. The edifice is neither large nor 
grand: it is built in a quadrangular form, with an 
open court in the centre, and galleries inside to 
the first and second floors. The apartments are 
thirty-six in number, very small, having been 
adapted to the use of the brotherhood, and since 
their departure only in a slight degree altered and 
decorated for the reception of the Royal Family, 
as their summer residence. In front of the house, 
to the southward, extends one of the finest plains 
in the world, two leagues square, watered by two 
rivers navigable for small craft, and bounded by fine 
bold rocky scenery, embellished in many parts with 
noble forest trees. This plain is clothed with the 
richest pasture, and supports from seven to eight 
thousand head of cattle. A considerable part of it 
lies low, and abounds with bogs, which might easily 
be laid dry and rendered susceptible of cultivation 
by proper drainage. The park occupies in its en- 
tire extent upwards of one hundred square 



150 THE PRINCE'S FARM 

miles, a territory almost as large as some of the 
principalities of Italy, and capable, by its prox- 
imity and connection with the capital both by 
land and water, of being rendered one of the most 
productive and populous in Brazil. Under the 
present system of management it is in a progressive 
state of deterioration; two small corners, the best 
of the land, one about half a league square, and the 
other more than a league square, have been al- 
ready, through disingenuous artifices, sold off, and 
the rest may in no long time be sacrificed to men 
whose cupidity stimulates them to depreciate its 
value, unless proper means are used to thwart 
their nefarious designs. 

The negroes on this estate, including all de- 
scriptions, amount to about fifteen hundred in 
number. They are in general a very excellent 
class of men, tractable and gentle in their dispo- 
sitions, and by no means deficient in intellect. 
Great pains have been taken to enlighten them, 
they are regularly instructed in the principles of 
the Christian faith, and have prayers publicly read 
to them morning and evening, at the commence- 
ment and close of their day's labor. Plots of 
ground, at their own choice, are assigned to each, 
and two days in the week, besides the incidental 
holidays, are allowed them to raise and cultivate 
produce for their own subsistence ; the rest of their 
time and labor is devoted to the service of His 
Highness. The system of management, however, 
is so bad, that they are half-starved, almost desti- 
tute of clothing, and most miserably lodged; 



AT SANTA CRUZ. 



151 



their average earnings do not amount to a penny 
per day each. A reform in the establishment 
might have been easily effected on the arrival of 
the Prince Regent, but it will now be very dif- 
ficult, as the abuses have been tacitly sanctioned 
by the indifference of those whose duty and in- 
terest it was to correct them. In this extent of 
fine ground scarcely an inclosure is made ; the 
cultivated lands are full of weeds, and the coffee- 
plantations are little better than a mere coppice- 
wood, in which the wild shrubs grow higher than 
the coffee-trees. The cattle are most deplorably 
neglected, and there is not upon the whole pre- 
mises a horse fit for the meanest beggar to ride. 
Such was the state in which I found this rich and 
extensive district, which seems to have been des- 
tined by nature for the introduction of improve- 
ments that might produce, through the influence 
of high example, an entire change in the agricul- 
tural system of Brazil. 

A short time after I had taken up my residence 
at Santa Cruz, the Prince came down, and on the 
day succeeding his arrival honored me with a visit, 
after which I frequently rode out with His Royal 
Highness. He one day did me the honor to express 
a wish that I would undertake to govern the farm ; 
this proposal I begged leave to decline, on the ground 
of my inability to render such an employ compati- 
ble with my other concerns, suggesting at the 
same time the superior service I could render by 
working the iron mine. Notwithstanding this, 



152 



THE PRINCE'S FARM 



the Prince, on the day following, gave me a paper, 
containing an oner of the whole direction of the 
estate, and stating the terms. The repetition of 
the proposal not a little embarrassed me ; I was 
aware that, by refusing, I might probably debar 
myself from the prospect of any future favor, yet 
I anticipated enough of difficulty in the under- 
taking to make me decline it at all events. This 
dilemma occasioned me much uneasiness, and in 
order to remove it I applied to Sir Sidney Smith, 
who was then on a visit to Santa Cruz, requesting 
him to explain to His Royal Highness the cir- 
cumstances which rendered it impossible for me 
to settle in Brazil, and to tender him the offer of 
my services during my stay. After some further 
deliberation, however, I was induced to accept 
the appointment, by way of trial, for a few months, 
under the express stipulation that I should act 
without control. On entering upon my charge I 
began by making such new arrangements as ap- 
peared conducive to the end for which I was ap- 
pointed, but I soon perceived that instead of 
being principal intendant, I had a superior, who 
held me accountable to him for my proceedings, 
and manifested a fixed determination to thwart 
them, as innovations on the established course of 
things. But this was not the only inconvenience ; 
it was expected that I should purchase whatever 
was wanted on my own credit ; but I quickly dis- 
covered, that instead of being reimbursed, accord- 
ing to agreement, I was trifled with and at length 



AT SANTA CRUZ. 



153 



in part defrauded. The person here alluded to, 
was one the managers of the Prince's household; 
he could not hear that a foreigner should interfere 
in a concern over which he claimed authority, and 
hold a situation where real services might induce 
a comparison unfavorable to those which he con- 
tented himself with rendering. A detail of the arti- 
fices and insults which this man employed to disgust 
me with the situation, when he found I would not 
submit to be his servile drudge, would be tedious ; 
suffice it to say, that, perceiving no chance of obtain- 
ing that discretionary power, which alone could 
enable me to be essentially useful, I peremptorily 
refused to act any longer. Alarmed at this de- 
termination, he at first strove to overawe and then 
conciliate me, but I had seen too much of his con- 
duct to be duped by this stratagem, or to suppose 
that any cordiality could in future subsist between 
us. Imagining himself armed with royal power, 
he attempted to play the tyrant, but the reception 
he met with quickly forced him to resume his na- 
tural character. I did not hesitate to send in my 
resignation, and he had the mortification to find 
that the means he had employed to embarrass and 
enslave me, restored me to liberty. 

In the letter which announced my determina- 
tion to give up the employ, I thought proper to 
omit stating to His Excellency the Conde de 
Linhares, the reasons that led me to this step. 
Had that nobleman been apprised of the disagree- 
able circumstances in which I was placed, he 



MM DESRIPTION OF THE PROVINCE 

would, I am confident, have done his utmost to 
remove them. 

On my return to Rio de Janeiro, the Prince 
sent for me, and desired me again and again to re- 
turn to Santa Cruz; I contented myself with a 
simple excuse ; for that was not a time, nor was 
I in a place to enter into explanations. It is well 
known, that a system of intrigue prevailed near 
His Royal Highness's person, which often tended 
to counteract representations on matters of the 
greatest importance. 

In this place, I shall take leave to introduce some 
remarks on the province of Rio de Janeiro, from 
the pen of my friend, the Baron Von Langsdorff, 
His communication is dated November 20, 1820. 

" The province of Rio de Janeiro, being situ- 
ated on the confines, and without the tropic of 
Capricorn, is in general, in consequence of that 
situation, less warm than the countries which lie 
near the line. The whole territory extending 90 
leagues in length and 35 in breadth is moun- 
tainous, with the exception of the district of 
Goytacazes, usually called Campos. It is there- 
fore naturally divided into high and low lands. 
In the latter the heat is as great as in the other 
countries between the tropics, and consequently 
favorable to the culture of coffee, sugar, cotton, 
indigo, cocoa, rice, and other colonial produc- 
tions, as well as to the growth of the most valu- 
able trees of India, and of its exquisite fruits and 
spiceries, many of which have been introduced 



OF RIO DE JANEIRO. 155 

with success. The mango, the tea-plant, the 
bread-fruit tree, from the islands of the Pacific, 
thrive well here, as well as the camphire of Japan, 
the ginger, the cardamum, and the casawarine of 
New Holland. 

" On the mountains, which rise to the height of 
three thousand English feet, which are covered to 
the summit with impenetrable virgin forests, and 
of which the smiling valleys are watered by lim- 
pid streams, the temperature is as various as the 
productions. The forests abound in game, and 
in every kind of wood for ornamental work. In 
the grounds newly cleared, the fruit-trees and 
plants of Europe, the peach, the fig, the vine, 
the quince, and the strawberry, are cultivated 
with surprising success. 

" The fruits of the country are remarkable for 
their variety as well as their abundance. Here 
are bananas, plantains, guyapas, onenas, oranges, 
citrons, lemons, pomegranates, many delicate spe- 
cies of the genus Eugenia, as the pitangas, jambas, 
and cromischamas ; besides an infinite number of 
other plants, still in their natural state, which re- 
quire only the industry of man to improve and 
add them to the comforts of civilized life. 

" In short, by its situation, its climate, and its 
products, indigenous as well as exotic, this coun- 
try claims distinction as the most happy and na- 
turally independent, on the face of the globe. 

" With regard to climate, there is no winter or 
summer. The heat is never excessive, and there 



156 PRODUCTS OF RIO DE JANEIRO. 

is no sensible cold. The whole year appears a 
continual spring. The uninterrupted verdure, 
the vivid and varied color of the flowers which 
cover the highest trees of the forests, and which, 
appearing to change their form and aspect every 
month, constantly surround us with a new world, 
and fill the most insensible minds with astonish- 
ment and admiration. 

" Culinary vegetables and roots, as cabbages, 
radishes, turnips, cucumbers, melons, French- 
beans, potatoes, maize, mandioca, bananas, and 
various other products of the first necessity, may 
be planted and gathered every day of the year 
in the mountains as well as in the plain. As 
heat and humidity exist here in the most favor- 
able proportions, it will be readily concluded 
that vegetation must be extremely rapid. Of 
this there are extraordinary instances. Father 
Correia, one of the principal farmers of this pro- 
vince, settled at Estrella, has sown a measure of 
rice, and gathered more than 500 in return. The 
writer of these remarks was astonished at seeing 
rice grown on high lands which had not been in- 
undated. It appears to be sufficient that the soil 
be humid, and that the rains do not fail. The 
common return for maize is 120 or 130 for one. 
The coffee plant is easily cultivated, and in fa- 
vorable soils begins to bear fruit at the end of 
two years and a half. It is not uncommon to find 
plantations of coffee trees, which yield from ten 
to fifteen pounds of coffee a year. Grafts from 



JOURNEY TO CANTA GALLO. 



157 



peaches form, in two years, trees from two to 
three inches in diameter, loaded with fruit. Baron 
Langsdorff saw orange trees loaded with fruit, 
raised within three years from seed. In the go- 
vernment nursery at Lagoa de Tristes, may be 
seen alleys of mimosa lebheck, Mack wood, the 
seeds of which were brought from the Isle of 
France. Within three years _ the trees grew to 
the height of from twenty to thirty feet, and in 
thickness from eight to ten inches in diameter." 

The description extends into a multitude of 
details ; but enough, it is presumed, has been given, 
to afford an idea of the fine climate, the fertile soil, 
and the richly varied products of this province of 
Brazil. 



CHAP. VIII. 

Journey to Canta Gallo. 

SOME time after my return from Santa Cruz, a 
circumstance of a singular nature took place, 
which occasioned me to undertake a journey to 
a district called Canta Gallo, distant about forty 
leagues from the capital, and one of the latest 
discovered in this part of Brazil. Two men re- 
ported that they had there found a mine of silver, 
and brought to the mint a quantity of earthy 
matter reduced to powder, from which was smelt- 



158 JOURNEY TO CANTA GALLO. 

ed a small ingot of that metal. This report being 
officially laid before His Excellency the Conde 
de Linhares, I was solicited to go to Canta Gallo, 
and investigate the business on the spot, the two 
men being ordered to meet me there. Before I 
proceed to relate the result of my inquiry, I shalL 
briefly describe whatever I observed worthy of 
note in the course of the journey. 

Being provided with a passport, and also a 
sketch of the route, taken from a MS. map in the 
archives, I departed from Rio on the 10th of 
April, 1809, accompanied by Dr. Gardner, the 
gentleman already mentioned as lecturer on che- 
mistry at the college of S. Joaquim. Having 
to pass to the bottom of the harbour, towards the 
north, we embarked in a small vessel, and being 
favored with a strong sea-breeze, ran down to 
the entrance of the fine river Macacu, which we 
reached after a five hours' sail. The wind then 
dying, our boatmen took to their oars, and pro- 
ceeding up the river, we reached a house called 
Villa Nova, where numbers of market-boats for 
Rio, were waiting for the land-wind and the turn 
of the tide. After taking some refreshment here, 
we rowed onward until the river became so nar- 
row, that the vessel frequently touched the bank 
on each side, and the men were obliged to push 
her along with poles. At day-break we reached 
Porto das Caixas, a place of great resort from the 
interior, being the station where the mules dis- 
charge their loads of produce from the many 
plantations in the neighbourhood. The town 



JOURNEY TO CANTA GALLO* 



159 



consists of several poor houses, and of stores 
where goods are deposited for embarkation. The 
stratum hereabouts is primitive granite, covered 
with fine strong clay. Leaving this place, we 
proceeded for some distance and came to a large 
swamp, which we navigated in a canoe, with very 
little difficulty, and shortly afterwards arrived at 
the village of Macacu. It stands on a small 
eminence in the midst of a fine plain, watered by 
a considerable stream, over which there are two 
good bridges. Though almost at the base of the 
chain of the mountains that forms a barrier along 
the coast, the neighbourhood affords some fine 
situations; the land, in general, consists of a 
strong clay, but appears much worn out. The 
commander, Colonel J ose, to whom I introduced 
myself, gave me a very polite reception, as did also 
the brethren of the convent, to whom I paid a 
visit. I passed the night at the house of the 
Escrivao, a worthy gentleman, whose hospitality 
I still remember with peculiar gratitude, because 
it seemed to proceed, not from a cold sense of 
duty, but from the impulse of a warm and gene- 
rous heart. 

On the following day, being accommodated 
by the colonel with a horse and guide, I pro- 
ceeded along the winding banks of the river, 
which, in many places, present most beautiful 
views. Here was more cultivated land than I 
expected to see; but the sugar-plantations, and, 
in general, the low pasture-grounds, are quite 
neglected. We passed several farms belonging 



160 JOURNEY TO CANTA GALLO. 

to convents, which, from their apparent condi- 
tion, and the accounts we received, do little more 
than maintain the negroes and incumbents upon 
them. There was rarely a milch cow to be met 
with : pigs and poultry were equally scarce. The 
population of these fine valleys is deplorably thin 
and poor; there was a general sickliness in the 
looks of the women and children, which may be 
imputed to their miserable diet and inactive life. 
I ought to state that the manners of the people 
here are mild and gentle; we were every where 
treated with civility, and all our enquiries were 
answered with the most friendly marks of respect 
and attention. 

The air, as we drew nearer the mountains, was 
fresh and indeed cold. Towards evening we ar- 
rived at a farm belonging to a convent of nuns in 
Rio de Janeiro, where we were kindly accommo- 
dated for the night. This place is most agree- 
ably situated, and might, under skilful and in- 
dustrious management, be rendered a paradise. 
It has excellent clay, fine timber, a good fall of 
water, which forms a beautiful rivulet, and runs 
into a navigable river within one hundred yards 
of the house ; a fine extent of arable land, and a 
still finer of pasture, which peculiarly qualifies it 
for dairy farming. It is distant only one day's 
journey from Porto das Caixas, where there is a 
navigable communication with the metropolis. 
What a scene for an enterprising agriculturist! 
At present all is neglected : the house, the out- 
buildings, and other conveniences, are in a state 



JOURNEY TO CANTA GALLO. 161 

of decay, and all the people who manage the land 
appear, in common with the animals that feed 
upon it, to be half famished. 

The next morning we proceeded eastward, and 
crossing the stream, which was at least sixty 
yards broad and full three feet deep, rode along 
the farther margin, which is rather more elevated, 
and presents a view of some fine plains, stretching 
from thence to the base of the mountains. Jour- 
neying in that direction we reached the fine plan- 
tation of Captain Ferreira, who received us very 
politely, and shewed us every attention. This 
place, bounded by the alpine ridge behind it, is 
the extreme point to which the river Macacu is 
navigable. It is six or seven leagues from the 
village of that name. The estate maintains about 
one hundred negroes, who are chiefly employed 
in raising sugar, cotton, and coffee; but to me 
the situation appeared much better calculated for 
growing grain and feeding cattle, as the weather 
is at times cold, the evenings are often at- 
tended with heavy dews, and owing to the proxi- 
mity of the mountains, there are frequent rains, 
accompanied by thunder and lightning. Num- 
bers of fine springs burst forth from various parts 
of the hills, and form rivulets with falls, which, 
as here is plenty of fine timber, afford every means 
for working machinery. The owner lives in opu- 
lence, and is so humane and liberal to his people, 
that they seem to revere him as a father. We 
were much pleased with the air of domestic com- 

M 



162 JOURNEY TO CANTA GALLO. 

fort and contented industry, which we observed 
among them on visiting their dwellings in the 
evening. Some of the negro-children were at 
play ; others of more advanced age were assisting 
the women to pick cotton; and the men were 
scraping and preparing mandioca. Their cheer- 
fulness was not at all interrupted by our ap- 
proach, nor did they betray any uneasy feeling of 
constraint in Jthe presence of their superiors. In 
lieu of candles, which are seldom to be met with 
but in the capital, they burn oil, extracted from 
the bean of the palm, or from a small species of 
ground-nut, here called menu 

About noon, on the following day, horses being 
provided, and a soldier appointed for our guide, 
we left the fa%enda 9 accompanied by its hospitable 
owner, Captain Ferreira, who conducted us half a 
league on our way. The river, along which we 
passed in an easterly direction, bursts through vast 
masses of rock with great force, and in some 
parts forms considerable falls. The Captain, ere 
we parted, led me to a water-course, in which 
were found pieces of granite covered with manga- 
nese in a botryoidal form. After crossing the 
river twice, we arrived at what is called the first 
register, or searching-house, distant about two 
miles from the f agenda. This station is guarded 
by a corporal and a private soldier, who are 
charged with the receipt of various tolls, and are 
empowered to search passengers, in order to pre- 
vent the smuggling of gold-dust. After shewing 



JOURNEY TO CANTA GALLO. 163 

my passport, I took leave of Captain Ferreira, 
who made me promise to pay him a longer visit 
on my return. 

We had been warned of the badness of the 
roads, and were by no means agreeably de- 
ceived in them, for we were nearly four hours 
in going the next six miles. At the close of 
day, after a laborious and dangerous passage 
through abrupt ravines, and along the sides of 
steep hills, our guide announced that we were in 
sight of the second register, where it was pro- 
posed that we should pass the night. On arriving 
we found it a nlost miserable place, inhabited by 
five or six soldiers under the command of a Ser- 
jeant. This good man gave us a hearty welcome, 
and with the assistance of his comrades, cooked 
us a supper of fowls> and regaled us with what- 
ever else their scanty store afforded. We were 
not without music to our repast, for the house is 
built on the edge of a roaring torrent, which, 
bursting through a ravine, has washed away every 
thing except some huge masses of rock. A bit of 
ground, about ten yards square, is all the garden 
these poor people have, and even this is much ne- 
glected, for the guards here are so often changed, 
that no one thinks of adding to the comforts and 
conveniences of an abode, which others are to 
enjoy. 

At day-break, we found that our mules had 
strayed into a wood adjoining, but as the road was 
stopped, we were under no apprehension of losing 



164 JOURNEY TO CANT A GALLO, 

them, for the thickets on each side were im- 
pervious. This occurrence gave me an opportu- 
nity of seeing more of these remote regions ; and 
certainly the imagination of Salvator Rosa himself 
never pictured so rude a solitude. On one side 
rose the great harrier of mountains, which we had 
yet to cross, covered to their summits with trees 
and underwood, without the smallest trace of cul- 
tivation ; on the other lay the broken country, be- 
tween this ridge and the plain, presenting the 
same wild features of sylvan scenery. The miser- 
able hut at which we lodged, partook of the sa- 
vage character of the neighbourhood, and seemed 
formed for the abode of men cut off from all inter- 
course with their fellows. On our return we were 
provided with a breakfast of coffee and eggs ; as 
to milk there was no possibility of procuring any ; 
a cow would have been considered here as an in- 
cumbrance, nor would any one of the six idle sol- 
diers have given himself the trouble of milking her 
though they all had been dying of hunger. 

On resuming our journey, we entered on a 
road still more steep and rugged than that which 
we had passed. We were often obliged to dis- 
mount and lead our mules up almost perpendi- 
cular passes, and along fearful declivities. In 
some places, the thick foliage of the trees, and 
that of the underwood, which grew higher than 
our heads, sheltered us from the sun, and indeed 
scarcely admitted the light. Not a bird did we 
see, nor the trace of any living thing, except some 



JOURNEY TO CANT A GALLO, 165 

wild hogs. We passed several bare granite rocks 
of a gneiss-like formation. 

In journeying to the next station, we observed 
nothing worthy of note, except a small saw-mill, 
worked by an overshot wheel, of very clumsy 
construction. The frame, which contains a single 
saw of very thick iron, moves in a perpendicular 
direction; at every stroke, a boy brings the tim- 
ber up, by pulling a cord attached to a crank that 
moves the cylinder on which it rests. How rea- 
dily, thought I, would the meanest Russian pea- 
sant improve this machine ! 

We proceeded on our way up an ascent so pre- 
cipitous, that we were obliged to walk more than 
ride ; after two hours toiling along the side of a 
granite mountain, in which we observed some 
beds of fine clay, we reached the summit, from 
whence we saw the bay of Rio de Janeiro, the 
sugar-loaf mountain, and the city itself, to all ap- 
pearance, not more than four or five leagues 
distant from us, though, in reality, more than 
twenty. At this elevation, which we may state 
to be at four or five thousand feet above the level 
of the sea, the air was sharp and keen ; the ther- 
mometer stood at 58°. Continuing in a north- 
easterly direction, we passed two poor solitary 
farms, and entered upon a range of scenery tre- 
mendously grand, composed of bare abrupt coni- 
cal mountains, with immense water-falls in every 
direction. At the close of the day, we arrived at 
a farm-house, called Fazenda do Morro QueU 



166 JOURNEY TO CANTA GALLO. 

mado, the manager of which received us hospit- 
ably, and accommodated us for the night. The 
weather was so cold, that a double supply of bed- 
clothes scarcely produced sufficient warmth; in 
the morning the thermometer was at 48° Fahren- 
heit. After the heavy dew had cleared away, we 
took a view of the grounds, in company with the 
manager ; they appeared well-suited for a grazing- 
farm, but the temperature of the atmosphere is 
too severe for growing the common produce of 
the country; particularly cotton, coffee, and ba- 
nanas, which are frequently blighted. I was in- 
formed that some wheat has been grown here, 
though the people are quite unacquainted with 
the European method of farming. Indian corn, 
for the feed of hogs, is the staple article. This 
plantation is infested by ounces, which, at times, 
prey upon young cattle; the manager, who is a 
great hunter, keeps dogs, though of a poor race, 
for the express purpose of destroying them, which 
is thus practised: — When the carcass of a wor- 
ried animal has been found, or when an ounce 
has been seen prowling about, the news is soon 
proclaimed among the neighbours, two or three 
of whom take fire-arms loaded with heavy slugs, 
and go out with the dogs in quest of the animal, 
who generally lurks in some thicket, near the car- 
cass he has killed, and leaves so strong a scent, 
that the dogs soon find. When disturbed he 
retreats, to his den, if he has one, the dogs never 
attempting to fasten on him, or even to face hini^ 



JOURNEY TO CANTA GALLO. 167 

but, on the contrary, endeavouring to get out of 
his way, which is not difficult, as the ounce is 
heavy and slow of motion. If he caves, the sport 
is at an end, and the hunters make up the en- 
trance ; but he more commonly has recourse to a 
large tree, which he climbs with great facility; 
here his fate is generally decided, for the hunters 
get near enough to take a steady aim, and seldom 
fail to bring him down, one of them reserving his 
fire to dispatch him, if required, after he has 
fallen. It generally happens, that one or two of 
the dogs are killed in coming too near, for even 
in his dying struggles, a single stroke of his paw 
proves mortal. The skin is carried home as a 
trophy, and the neighbours meet and congratulate 
each other on the occasion. 

This farm, in the hands of an experienced and 
skilful agriculturist, might be managed so as to 
produce amazing returns. Its soil is wet, adapted 
to the growth, not only of Indian corn, but of 
wheat, barley, potatoes, &c. and it is so well irri- 
gated, by numerous mountain streams, that the 
pastures are always luxuriant. Here are fine falls 
of water, and abundance of excellent timber, so 
that corn-mills might be erected at little more 
expence than what would arise from the purchase 
of mill-stones. Connected with the nun's farm be- 
low, this etablishment might be rendered one 
of the most complete and advantageous in 
Brazil. 

Leaving Mon o Queimado at noon, and descend- 



168 JOURNEY TO CANT A GALLO, 

ing on the other side of the ridge of mountains, 
we passed through an unequal tract, formed of 
hills and ravines. Onward the land appeared 
finer, and the timber of a superior growth, but 
there were few cultivated spots, and not many 
houses. The first extensive fazenda we reached 
was that of Manoel Jose Pereira, a native of the 
Azores, who managed his agricultural concerns 
much better than the other farmers whom we 
visited. We were shewn a large field of Indian 
corn, ready for cutting; the quantity that had 
been sown was about eleven fangas, or bushels, 
and the produce was estimated at fifteen hundred 
bushels, about one hundred and fifty for one. 
This was an ordinary crop ; in good years the 
harvest yields two hundred for one. The corn, as 
before stated, is chiefly consumed in the fattening 
of pigs ; the quantity requisite for this purpose is 
six or seven bushels each, and the time, ten or 
twelve weeks. The curing of bacon is performed 
by cutting all the lean from the flitches, and 
sprinkling them with a very little salt. This food 
has the peculiar effect of giving greater solidity 
to the fat, which of itself is not liable to putre- 
faction. 

Though the owner of this farm has occupied it 
not more than five years, and has had only the 
assistance of his two sons, and six negroes, he has 
brought it into a very fair state of cultivation. In 
his coffee plantation we observed five thousand 
trees in full bearing, and the rest of his grounds 



JOURNEY TO CANTA GALLO. 169 

were in an equally prosperous condition. His ex- 
penses, indeed, are light, and the only difficulties 
he has had to contend with, have been the bad 
roads, which are now much amended. The ex- 
ample of this man, it is to be hoped, will stimu- 
late the emulation of his neighbours; for it has 
fully shewn the unbounded liberality with which 
nature here crowns the labors of the agricul- 
turist. 

On our way hence to the place of our destina- 
tion, we passed through some forests of fine full- 
grown trees ; one, which had fallen, I had the cu- 
riosity to measure; it was full seventy-six inches 
in diameter, at the thick end, and above twenty- 
five yards in length. Such a piece of timber I had 
never before seen. Within about three miles from 
Canta Gallo, we arrived at an excellent farm be- 
longing to the Senhor Tenente, or treasurer of the 
district, who treated us very hospitably, and in- 
vited us to visit him on our return. Our recep- 
tion at Canta Gallo was highly gratifying; the 
Governor, and all the principal inhabitants, over- 
joyed to see Englishmen in these remote parts, 
treated us with great cordiality and friendship ; a 
clinner was provided, at which they testified to us 
the great respect they entertained for our nation, 
as being the great ally of a Prince whom they 
adored. 



no 



CHAP. IX. 

Description of Canta Gallo Of the Gold-wash-* 

ing of Santa Rita — Account of the supposed 
Silver-Mine. 

CANTA GALLO, though so near the seat of 
government, was not known until about twenty 
years ago. It is situated in the midst of a fine well 
wooded country, abounding in springs, and inter- 
sected by narrow valleys and ravines. The bottoms 
of some of these ravines formerly contained gold, 
which was accidentally discovered by some grim-* 
peiros * from Minas Geraes, in the course of their 
searches about the great river Paraiba, and the 
Rio Pumba. The richness of these beds of gold, 
and the fertility of the circumjacent country, at- 
tracted numbers of adventurers, who placed them- 
s elves under the direction of an able chieftain, 
named Mao de Luva, on account of his having 
lost one hand, and his wearing a stuffed glove in 
its place. The band soon amounted to two or 
three hundred persons, who washed every part in 
the neighbourhood worth washing, before they 
were discovered. Being very determined men, 
they lived free of control, and bade defiance to the 

* A name given to those persons who go about the country seeking 
gold-washings, and do not give notice, or solicit a grant yv\m\ they 
discover any. They are considered and treated as smugglers. 



DESCRIPTION OF CANTA GALLO. 171 

laws. It was not until about three years after 
their first settlement, that the existing govern- 
ment was apprised of them ; when, alarmed at the 
report of their numbers, which was doubtless ex- 
aggerated, they sent out spies to discover their 
rendezvous. This, after much time and great 
difficulty, was effected; the spies, in wandering 
through the solitary woods and fastnesses in the 
neighbourhood, were attracted toward the place, 
by the crowing of a cock: — hence the name of 
Canta Gallo, which was subsequently given to it. 
They introduced themselves as smugglers, who 
wished to belong to the fraternity, and after liv- 
ing there some time, found means to give infor- 
mation to government, at Bio de Janeiro, who 
issued proclamations, offering pardon if the whole 
body would surrender. This measure was inef- 
fectual ; the grimpeiros were well provided with 
fire-arms, and determined to defend themselves as 
long as any gold could be found. In a year or 
two afterwards, the washings began to fail, and 
thus the great bond of interest which united them 
being loosened, some deserted the place, and the 
rest became less vigilant in taking measures for 
their defence. The government seized this fa- 
vorable opportunity for reducing them; a consider- 
able force was assembled in the vicinity, with 
orders to make an attack at a certain fixed day, 
which was known to be celebrated by the grim- 
peiros as a festival in honor of some saint. At 
the expected time, while they were engaged at a 



172 DESCRIPTION OF CANTA GALLO. 

great banqueting, and too much oictmpied with 
their wine to think of their arms, which had been 
laid aside, (the flints having been secretly taken 
out), about a hundred soldiers rushed in among 
them ; those who were sober enough flew to their 
arms, exclaiming, ff We are sold! we are be- 
trayed! treason! treason!" The contest was short; 
the soldiers seized the ringleaders, who were either 
sent to Africa, or imprisoned for life ; of the rest, 
some were taken prisoners, others fled, but were 
pursued for years afterwards, and a few fell in the 
attack. 

The Government, having thus become masters 
of this territory, and imagining it to be as rich in 
gold as when the grimpeiros first settled there, 
issued many injudicious regulations, oppressed the 
natives beyond example, built registers in various 
parts, to prevent contraband, and filled the w^hole 
neighbourhood with guards. The numerous set- 
tlers, whom the supposed richness of the place after- 
wards attracted, soon found that the cream had been 
skimmed by the smugglers, and by degrees turned 
their attention to agriculture, a less precarious 
source of subsistence than mining. So little gold 
is at present found, that His Highness's fifth 
scarcely pays the officers and soldiers appointed 
to receive it. There are some situations alike fa- 
vorable to mining and farming ; with a small capi- 
tal, a man may here turn both pursuits to account, 
if he can bring himself to conform to the customs 
of the place. The land is strong and good ; its 



DESCRIPTION OF CANTA GALLO. 173 

various inequalities present spots adapted to the 
growth of almost every description of produce. 
In the valleys, and on the sides of the mountains, 
the soil, in some parts, consists of strong clay, but 
more generally of a fine, rich, vegetable mould. 
The rock, or solid stratum, which appears at va- 
rious depths below it, is granite, composed of feld- 
spar, hornblende, quartz, mica, and frequently 
garnets. When found in a decomposing state, it 
is denominated pizarra. No metallic substances, 
-except gold and oxides of iron, appear ; the former, 
which is found in the interjacent bed of cascalho, 
exists only in grains ; I examined a considerable 
quantity, but could not discover a single particle 
in a crystallized state. 

The country appears to be very poorly stocked 
with cattle; no cows are kept for milking, nor is 
any attention here paid to the production of an 
article of diet, so essential to the subsistence of a 
poor family ; a few goats are kept, and the only 
milk used is that which they yield. The common 
food of the inhabitants is as follows : — for break- 
fast, a kind of kidney beans, called feijoens, boiled, 
and afterwards mixed with the flour of Indian 
corn ; for dinner, feijoens boiled with a little fat 
pork and some cabbage leaves-,, and a sort of pud- 
ding, made by pouring the water from the pork 
on a plate of the farinha, which is eaten with the 
hand, and much relished; for supper, some poor 
vegetables, also boiled up with fat pork. Fowls, 
which are bred here in great numbers, are generally 



174 DESCRIPTION OF CANTA GALLO. 

cut to pieces and stewed for table. Wine is 
rarely used, even among the higher ranks; but 
here are fruits in great abundance, particularly 
bananas and oranges, which form a considerable 
part of the general diet. 

Very little sugar is grown here: the principal 
articles of produce sent to the capital, are Indian 
Corn, and pulse of all kinds, bacon, fowls, jara* 
mnda, or rose-wood, ipecacuanha, and a small quan- 
tity of gold. In many parts of the neighbourhood 
is found a tree, the bark of which has been success- 
fully used as a substitute for the quinquina of Peru. 

In one of the frequent excursions I took in the 
neighbourhood of Canta Gallo, previous to my 
journey to the reputed silver mine, I obtained 
some information respecting the half-civilized 
aborigines of the district, from a man who env 
ploys himself in procuring ipecacuanha, and is a 
kind of chief among them. They reside in the 
woods, in a most miserable condition ; their dwell- 
ings, some of which I saw, are formed of boughs 
of trees, bent so as to hold a thatch or tiling of 
palm-leaves; their beds are made of dry grass. 
Having little idea of planting or tillage, they de- 
pend for subsistence almost entirely on their bows 
and arrows, and on the roots and wild fruits 
which they casually find in the woods. The chief 
above-mentioned brought about fifty of these In- 
dians to pay me a visit, which was not a little 
gratifying to me, as it afforded an opportunity of 
examining their features, and of conversing with 



DESCRIPTION OF CANTA GALLO. 175 

the few among them who could speak a little of 
the Portuguese language. The dress of the men 
consisted of a waistcoat and a pair of drawers; 
that of the women, of a chemise and petticoat, 
with a handkerchief tied round the head, after 
the fashion of the Portuguese females. They 
bore the general characteristics of their race, the 
copper-colored skin, short and round visage, 
broad nose, lank black hair, and regular stature, 
inclining to be short and broad set. Being de- 
sirous to see a proof of their skill and precision in 
shooting, of which I had heard much, I placed an 
orange at thirty yards distance, which was pierced 
by an arrow from every one who drew his bow at 
it. I next pointed out a banana-tree, about eight 
inches in circumference, at a distance of forty 
yards ; not a single arrow missed its aim, though 
they all shot at an elevated range. Interested 
by these proofs of their archery, I went with 
some of them into a wood to see them shoot at 
birds; though there were very few, they disco- 
vered them far more quickly than I could ; and, 
cautiously creeping along until they were within 
bow-shot, never failed to bring down their game. 
The stillness and expedition with which they 
penetrated the thickets, and passed through the 
brush-wood, were truly surprising ; nor could any 
thing have afforded me a more satisfactory idea 
of their peculiar way of life. Their bows are 
made of the tough fibrous wood of the Iriri, six or 
seven feet long, and very stout ; their arrows are 



176 DESCRIPTION OF CANTA GALLO. 

full six feet long, and near an inch in diameter, 
pointed with a piece of cane cut to a feather 
edge, or with a bone, but of late more frequently 
with iron. They are loathsome in their persons, 
and in their habits but one remove from the An- 
thropophagi; a woman was gnawing at a half- 
roasted parrot, which was spiked on a stick, with 
the feathers scarcely burnt off, and the entrails 
hanging out*. They are not of a shy or morose cha- 
racter, but have a great aversion to labor, and 
cannot be brought to submit to any regular em- 
ployment. Rarely is an Indian to be found 
serving as a domestic, or working for hire, and to 
this circumstance may be ascribed the low state 
of agriculture in the district ; for as the farmers, 
when they begin the world, have seldom funds suffi- 
cient to purchase negroes at Rio, their operations 
are for a long time very confined, and frequently 
languish for want of hands. What benefits would 
result to the state, and how much would the 
general cause of humanity be served, if these In- 
dians were civilized and domesticated! A tribe of 
idle and unsettled savages would be converted 
into useful and productive laborers; the whole 

* Ere they departed, I saw an instance of that dangerous excess to 
which the passions of savages are liable when once excited; for, on 
presenting a few bottles of liquor, there was a general strife for them, 
and the person, man or woman, who first obtained one, would have 
drank the whole of its contents, had it not been forcibly taken away. 
It is very unsafe to give them ardent spirits, for when intoxicated it is 
necessary to confine them. If preference is given to one, the rest are 
insolent and unruly until they obtain the same mark of favor. 



GOLD WASHING AT SANTA RITA. 177 

face of the district would be improved; the roads, 
which at present connect it with the capital, 
would be cleared of the thousand inconveniences 
which now encumber them, and new ones* would 
be opened for the more expeditious conveyance of 
its produce. 

During my stay at Canta Gallo I undertook a 
journey to the gold-washing at Santa Rita, dis- 
tant about five leagues, in a north-east direction. 
After passing the uneven country in the imme- 
diate neighbourhood of the village, we arrived at 
the Rio Negro, a considerable stream formed by 
many rivulets, which empties itself into the Pa- 
raiba; on crossing itf, we entered upon a fine 
open country, the fertility of which was evident 
from the luxuriant growth of the tobacco and 
other plants: but it lay in a state of almost total 
neglect, and the families thinly scattered upon it 
appeared in the lowest condition of indolence and 
misery. We proceeded a league farther, through 
a tract entirely destitute of inhabitants, and ar- 
rived about two in the afternoon at Santa Rita. 
The proprietor of the works received us very 
kindly, and conducted us through them while 

* I was well informed that a few hundred pounds, judiciously em- 
ployed, would defray the expense of making a good road from Canta 
Gallo to Porto das Caixas, which loaded mules might travel in two 
days. 

t The mode of crossing a river with horses or mules in these parts, 
is to tie one to the canoe, and drive him into the water; the rest 
follow. 

N 



178 



GOLD WASHING 



dinner was preparing. The washing is in a deep 
ravine, bounded at one end by an abrupt hill, and 
open at the other to the plain. The vegetable 
earth appeared extremely rich, being clothed with 
luxuriant verdure, and the hills on each hand 
covered with trees of all sizes. The stratum of 
cascalho, which lies under a bed of soil four or 
five feet deep, is very thin and uneven, being no 
where more than two feet thick, and in many 
parts not more than seven or eight inches. The 
incumbent soil is removed at great labor and 
expense, being dug out and carried away in 
bowls; and the cascalho is conveyed with great 
care to a convenient place for water, where it is 
washed by the most expert among the miners, in 
a way similar to that practised at the mines of 
Jaragua. The proportion of gold produced was 
moderate : I was informed that it paid the master 
the rate of from fourteen pence to two shillings 
per day for each negro, which is a large profit, as 
the daily subsistence of one costs somewhat less 
than a penny. 

The sides of the ravine towards the top were 
bare, and of different shades of color, being tinged 
by the water which flows from the vegetable 
matter above : in the bottom, on the surface that 
was yet unworked, lay some huge, half-rounded, 
amorphous masses. In the parts which had been 
worked, I observed two or three substances of 
the same kind, which being too large to be 
moved, the earth which imbedded them had been 



AT SANTA RITA. 



179 



cut away, and they appeared like detached no- 
dules. On breaking a fragment from one of 
them, with my hammer, I was much surprised 
to find it a calcareous substance, a solid mass 
composed of hexagonal crystals, with a small por- 
tion of brilliant specular iron ore. I presented 
this fragment to the proprietor, informing him 
that it was limestone, at which he was truly 
astonished, having never before heard of stone- 
lime*; nor would he believe me until I proved it 
by calcination. The mountains, as I afterwards 
found, are of the same substance. 

As I stood observing the heavy operation of 
cutting and carrying away the surface to get 
at the cascalho, it occurred to me that much time 
and labor might be saved by arching the work 
with brick ; but, on suggesting the idea, I was in- 
formed that the sole or bottom was quite decom- 
posed, and subject to much water. 

There is reason to suppose that the stratum 
of limestone, below the earth in the bottom of 
the valley, is of very modern formation, and 
that, if not too thick to cut through, there 
might be found, between it and the granite stra- 
tum underneath, a bed of cascalho of prior 
formation, much richer in gold than the upper 
stratum. 

After having investigated these works, we made 

* The little lime which they use here is made of shells, and is 
brought from Porto das Caixas. 



180 



SANTA RITA. 



an excursion of seven or eight miles, chiefly over 
a rich plain, abounding with the finest timber. 
On the margins of the rivulets which we crossed, 
I observed that the moss was incrusted, somewhat 
like the tuffa at Matlock ; and, on more particular 
examination, I found a stratum of tuffa in all the 
valleys, a few inches below the surface, which, as 
I conjecture, must have proceeded from the de- 
position of calcareous matter by the overflowings 
of the streams after heavy rains. The hills, even 
at this distance, were composed of the same 
sparry limestone as at the gold-washing. It is 
much to be wished that the value of this material 
were duly appreciated at the capital, where the 
cost of the wood used in burning shells into lime, 
exceeds the price at which lime brought from 
Santa Rita might be delivered, if proper roads 
were made for its conveyance from this district 
to Porto das Caixas. Such an undertaking highly 
deserves the attention of His Highness's minis- 
ters; the benefits likely to result from it are in- 
calculable, and the expense attending it would be 
trifling ; for in no part of the globe are roads made 
so cheap, or public works of any kind done on 
such moderate terms, as in Brazil. 

This fine but almost uninhabited district pro- 
duces spontaneously many valuable articles of 
commerce, which run to waste for want of hands 
to cultivate and gather them. Here is found that 
celebrated variety of the palm-tree, the long, ser- 
rated, lancet-formed leaves of which are com- 



RETURN TO CANTA GALLO. 181 

posed of innumerable fibres, that rival silk both 
in fineness and strength. I bought some fishing- 
lines made of them for a mere trifle; and I have 
no doubt that, if proper means were employed to 
propagate the growth of the trees, this valuable 
substance might be produced in as great plenty, 
and at as cheap a rate, as flax is in England. 
I laid before His Highness's ministers, a pro- 
ject for using it as a substitute for that article 
in the manufacture of fine cordage, and I shewed 
by experiment that it was fully adequate to the 
purpose. 

We remained two days at Santa Rita and its 
vicinity, and on the third, set out on our return, 
taking the same route by which we came. In 
some parts we observed numerous flocks of birds, 
particularly parrots, and a few fine wild hens of 
the wood, and these were the only objects that 
engaged our attention. We reached Canta Gallo 
without having met with any monstrous serpents, 
or any other uncommon sights which travellers 
often see or fancy in a strange country. 

After a few days' rest, I set out, accompanied 
by a guide, to the supposed silver-mine, notice 
having previously been sent to the men to pre- 
pare them for my coming. We travelled for 
about two miles through a deep valley, and ar- 
rived at a rapid stream called Macaco, which runs 
between two almost perpendicular mountains of 
very inconsiderable height, along one of which 
the road leads for about a mile and a half. 



182 



FARM AT ST. ANTONIO. 



Having passed this gloomy and dangerous ravine, 
we proceeded half a league farther, and halted at 
a neat farm-house called Machado, with a portion 
of good and well-cultivated land around it, which 
looked like a garden in the wilderness. The 
owner, a native of the Azores, received us very 
politely, and introduced us to his lady, who, with 
her blooming family of daughters, was engaged 
in needle-work on materials of their own spin- 
ning. The neatness of their dress, and the ge- 
neral air of propriety and comfort in the apart- 
ment where they sat, strongly reminded me of my 
country; and when they regaled us with liquor 
made from the fruits of their own farm, the image 
of our domestic scenes in rural life was complete : 
I could almost have fancied myself transported 
from the rugged wilds of Brazil to the smiling 
vales of England. 

We left this peaceful abode; and, advancing 
for six miles through thickets and forests, and 
over some plain land, we reached a farm called 
St. Antonio, belonging to a widow named Dona 
Anna, who is noted throughout the country for 
making excellent butter and cheese. The dwell- 
ing is of two stories, and neat, but very incon- 
venient. The good lady gave me a hearty repast 
of milk, and we entered into some conversation 
respecting her dairy, in which I learned that she 
knew no other mode of making butter than that 
of agitating the cream in a jar or bottle; and her 
notions of cheese-making were equally defective, 



RIO GRANDE. 



183 



In looking about the grounds for an hour, while 
our mules rested, I noticed an excellent fence, 
formed by planting a strong thorny shrub, that 
seemed of very rapid and luxuriant growth. 
The few cows that were grazing in the inclosures 
appeared to be of a superior breed, but were not 
managed with either method or foresight. The 
principal produce of the farm is Indian corn, and 
a little cheese ; the latter is only made occasion- 
ally, when there happens to be a sufficient supply 
of milk for the purpose. 

We were here shewn various samples of earthy 
matter, wrapped very carefully in paper, and pre- 
served with great secrecy, under the names of 
platina, silver, &c. They proved to be merely 
small crystals of shining iron ore, and pyrites. 

Proceeding a league over a fine country, we 
reached the Rio Grande, a stream as large as the 
Derwent at Derby, which we crossed in a canoe, 
our mules swimming after us as usual. We passed 
several groupes of Aborigines, and occasionally 
saw many of their huts and places of abode. The 
road now led along the bases of some huge bold 
mountains of granite, from whose summits rushed 
fine cascades of water. The low ground was in- 
terspersed with fragments of the same rock, lying 
in heaps in every direction. In many places the 
grass was so tall that it reached above the skirts 
of my saddle, and, the weather being wet, rendered 
me very uncomfortable. After a laborious, and 
latterly a slow progress, we arrived by sun-set at 



184 



FARM OF FATHER THOMAS. 



the house of Father Thomas de Nossa Senhora 
da Conceicao, who kindly accommodated us for 
the night. 

The house was new, and neatly built, containing 
only four rooms, with boarded floors; a conveni- 
ence very rarely to be met with in these parts. It 
is absolutely encircled with fine streams, abound- 
ing with water-falls, which render the roads to it 
at all times indifferent, and in wet weather almost 
impassable. The father, an intelligent and in- 
dustrious man, informed me that he took up that 
land about four years since, that he had only one 
negro, and had no funds wherewith to carry on 
his undertaking, except seven or eight pounds per 
annum, which he gained by his profession as a 
clergyman ; this he expended in hiring those who 
chose to work. He shewed me his garden, which 
was full of fine coffee-trees, and was kept in the 
neatest order; his fields were covered with In- 
dian corn ; his live-stock consisted of a good milch 
cow, a number of pigs, and one mule. On asking 
him how he disposed of his produce, he told me 
that dealers came and purchased it on the spot. 
The whole of the sesmaria, or plantation, with the 
stock upon it, he valued at four hundred pounds 
sterling, and said that he had no doubt he could 
obtain that price for it. These were clear data 
for calculating the profits of farming, when ma- 
naged with prudence and industry. Here is a 
man who, having begun with little or nothing, 
finds himself, at the end of four years, worth four 



REPUTED SILVER MINE. 



185 



hundred pounds; a snug independency in these 
parts, and not more than his exertions and perse- 
verance deserved. Father Thomas lived more 
comfortably than any person I had hitherto met 
with in this district: he was economical, but not 
parsimonious ; liberal in his sentiments, frank and 
communicative in his conversation, and polite in 
his manners. 

Here I was met by the discoverers of the re^- 
puted silver-mine, who came to conduct me to it. 
We set out on foot, and, after walking about six 
miles over mountains impassable for mules, ford- 
ing rivulets, and passing thickets that left me 
scarcely a single article of dress untorn, we ar- 
rived at the miserable hut of these poor men; a 
perfect contrast to the neat dwelling of Father 
Thomas. Never in my life was I so exhausted by 
fatigue; I sat down, unable to go any farther, 
and rested about an hour, when, being somewhat 
recovered, I accompanied the men, along the 
edge of a beautiful stream, to the foot of the 
mountain, where they shewed me a hole which 
they had dug, about two feet deep, and informed 
me that the sand it contained at the bottom 
abounded with grains of silver. Having ordered 
a quantity to be taken out, I proceeded to ex- 
amine the base of the mountain, which I found to 
be of granite-like gneiss, with garnets, and small 
crystals of pyrites. Near this place the margin of 
the rivulet contained rounded stones and sand, 



186 



AFFAIR OF THE 



but no where was there to be found any metallic 
substance, except the one before mentioned. In- 
deed, the very idea of silver appearing here in 
dust or grains, as gold does, would be preposter- 
ous, and contradictory to every principle of na- 
ture, as, in such a state, it would probably have 
been attacked by the sulphur in the pyrites, so as 
to have assumed the form of a sulphuret. 

I returned extremely wearied and much exhaust- 
ed to Father Thomas's, where, after some need- 
ful repose, I proceeded to examine the sand and 
stones I had collected at the supposed silver-mine, 
but no particle of metal was to be found. I then 
ordered the men to produce their samples, which 
I examined both by the blow-pipe and by acids, 
but no silver appeared. After equivocating very 
much, they acknowledged that they had rubbed 
and beaten substances to powder, and when they 
found specular iron ore they thought it was silver. 
In one of the samples there certainly was silver, 
but it appeared to have been filed probably from 
an old buckle or spoon, or rubbed on a stone and 
mixed with a pulverized substance. The farce 
could no longer be carried on : I charged them, 
in a most determined manner, with imposture, 
which, after some hesitation, they confessed : an 
officer who was with me would have secured 
them, but I restrained him; for, having obtained 
a confession, I was unwilling to bring them to 
punishment, or to render them more miserable 



REPUTED SILVER MINE. 



187 



than they already were, by having them sent to 
the army. Perhaps that would have been doing 
them a greater service than setting them at li- 
berty; for they were too lazy to work, and would, 
no doubt, return to their old habits of prowling 
about, and subsisting on the credulity of the pub- 
lic by spreading fallacious reports about mines, 
precious stones, &c. Such impositions are not un- 
common in South America: I have known in- 
stances in which copper-filings, mixed with earth, 
and afterwards washed, have been produced as 
samples, in order to enhance the value of land, or 
serve some other sinister purpose. A passion for 
mining is fatally prevalent among some of the lower 
orders of the people : by deluding them with 
prospects of becoming speedily rich, it creates in 
them a disgust for labor, and entails want and 
wretchedness upon them. Even among the few fa- 
milies of this district, I observed some examples 
of its effects; those who devoted themselves 
wholly to mining were in general badly clothed 
and worse fed, while < those who attended to agri- 
culture alone were well provided with every ne- 
cessary of life. 

Having concluded the affair, I took leave of 
Father Thomas, and returned to Canta Gallo, 
where I prepared my papers for a report respect- 
ing it, as the Conde cle Linhares, had desired me. 
During the remainder of my stay I collected spe- 
cimens of the different species of wood, which the 



WOODS OF BRAZIL. 



188 

neighbourhood produces, 
of them: 



The following is a list 



Tapinhoam Canella — Hard, and excellent for 

sheathing ships. 
Venatico — excellent timber. 
Cedar — good and durable. 
Socupira, also called pao ferro — hard and good. 
Olio — very solid, and of a peculiar fragrance. 
Cubiuna. 

Jaracanda — cabinet -wood, variegated, black 
and yellow — This is called rose-wood in 
England : but the best sorts, as it appears to 
me, have not hitherto been imported. 

Jaracatanga. 

Ubatanga, 

Palms many varieties, among which is the 

iriri, before described. Its wood, though 
small, is unrivalled for strength and elasticity. 

Garfauna — the bark of which, as I was in- 
formed, affords a yellow dye. 

Embe a creeping plant. The stems are 

used instead of cords, and often made into 
bridles. 

Many species of thorny trees. 

Most of the above-named species of woods are 
of large growth, and well calculated for ship- 
building. It is remarkable that this district pro- 
duces none of the dye-wood called Brazil wood. 



MODE OF CULTIVATING LAND. 189 

Here are innumerable fruit-trees and shrubs 
which I have omitted to particularize. Tobacco 
is cultivated in some parts, and is always manu- 
factured into roll by uniting the leaves with each 
other, and twisting them with a winch. By this 
operation the juice is expressed, and after a short 
exposure to the atmosphere, the color of the 
tobacco changes from green to black. 

Of wild animals, ounces are the most common ; 
they are met with of various colors, some black 
and brown-red. Tapirs or antas are not unfre- 
quent, but I saw only the footsteps of some of 
them. Wild hogs breed here in great numbers, 
and also long-bearded monkeys; the latter, when 
asleep, snore so loud as to astonish the traveller. 
The most formidable reptiles are the corral snake, 
the surocucu, the surocucu-tinga, and the jararaca, 
all said to be mortally venomous, none of which I 
ever saw on the journey, except a small one of 
the former species. 

The prevailing method of clearing and cultivat- 
ing the land here, is precisely similar to that prac- 
tised in the neighbourhood of S. Paulo. After 
the timber and underwood have been cut down 
and burnt (often very imperfectly), the ne- 
gresses dibble the seed; in about six weeks a 
slight weeding is performed, and then the ground 
is let alone till harvest. The seed-time begins in Oc 
tober and lasts until November; the maize is ripe 
in four or five months. The next year they com- 
monly sow beans on the corn land, which they 
then let lie, and proceed to clear new ground. It 



190 



INDIAN CORN MILL. 



is not common to molest the land from which they 
have had two crops in succession, before eight or 
ten years have elapsed. 

The sugar-cane and mandioca require from 
fourteen to eighteen months. Coffee, planted by 
shoots, bears fruit in two years, and is in perfection 
in five or six years. Cottons and palma Christi, 
raised from seed, bear the first year. 

Transplanting is only practised with tobacco; 
engrafting is little known and rarely attempted. 

The Indian corn is ground by a horizontal 
water-wheel, which acquires great velocity from 
the rush of water upon it. On the upper end is 
fixed the mill-stone, which makes from fifty to 
sixty revolutions in a minute. They have like- 
wise a mode of pounding the corn into flour, by 
a machine called a Sloth. Near a current of wa- 
ter a large wooden mortar is placed, the pestle of 
which is mortised into the end of a lever twenty- 
five or thirty feet long, resting upon a fulcrum at 
five-eights of its length. The extremity of the 
shorter arm of this beam is scooped out, so as to 
receive a sufficient weight of water to raise the 
other end, to which appends the pestle, and to 
discharge itself when it has sunk to a given point. 
The alternate emptying and filling of this cavity 
cause the elevation and fall of the pestle, which 
take place about four times per minute. This 
contrivance surpasses all others in simplicity ; and 
in a place where the waste of water is of no con- 
sequence, it completely answers its purpose. 



ECKIZONTAL CORN iOLX . . POXTNfDING MACHINE 





RETURN TO RIO DE JANEIRO. 191 

Having finished my affairs at Canta Gallo, I 
set out on my return to the capital, accompanied 
for about a league of the road by the worthy go- 
vernor, the captain, the treasurer, and almost all 
the inhabitants. During a residence of about fif- 
teen days among these excellent men, my table 
had been sumptuously supplied without cost, and 
I had been treated with a degree of respect far 
exceeding my expectations or merits. I took 
leave of them with regret, wishing most sincerely 
that it might be in my power to be of service to 
them at court, by making representations in their 
favor. 

I arrived at Morro Queimado at night, after a 
journey of thirty-four miles*, and on the next 
day, in good time, reached the house of my 
worthy friend Captain Ferreira. Being now less 
pressed for time, I took a more leisurely survey 
of his establishment, particularly of his sugar- 
work and distillery, both which are very ill con- 
ducted. When I saw the furnaces for heating 
the coppers in the latter, I freely told the Cap- 
tain, that they could not have been constructed 
on a worse plan, but I received for answer, that 

* In one part of the road we passed a nest of insects (called marim- 
bondosj, which are extremely troublesome to cattle, and cause the 
mules to be very violent and unruly. They attack with great perti- 
nacity, and pursue to a considerable distance; we took a devious route 
to get rid of them, but I was followed by some which stung me as 
painfully as an irritated wasp could have done. There is a singular 
variety of them, having a horny pointed proboscis, with which they 
pierce most keenly and give intolerable pain. 



192 



BRAZILIAN FARMERS. 



no better was known. It would, indeed, be ex- 
tremely difficult to introduce improvements into 
this or any other parts of the distillery, for every 
thing is left to the management of the negroes. 
When I asked any question concerning the pro- 
cess, the owner professed his ignorance of it, and 
sent for one of the African foremen to answer me. 
With this man I reasoned respecting the exces- 
sive quantity of fuel consumed to no purpose, and 
proposed a method for saving it, as well as for 
correcting the disagreeable taste of the rum, 
caused by the empyreuma; which was, to re- 
distil it with an equal quantity of water, taking 
care previously to clean out the still; but he only 
laughed at me, and signified that his certainly 
must be the best method, for he had learned it of 
an old sugar-maker. Thus it is, that from the 
indifference of the owners to their own interest, 
things are suffered to go on in the same routine, 
being left to the direction of men who shrink 
from a temporary increase of labor, even when it 
promises them a lasting advantage. This aver- 
sion to improvement I have often observed 
among the inhabitants of Brazil: when, for in- 
stance, I have questioned a brick-maker, a sugar- 
maker, a soap-boiler, or even a miner, as to his rea- 
sons for conducting his concerns in such an imper- 
fect manner, I have been almost invariably re- 
ferred to a negro for answers to my interroga- 
tories. 

Some parts of this estate are said to contain 



CAPTAIN FERREIRA'S FARM. 193 

gold, and at the time of my visit, Captain Fer- 
reira was negociating for permission from Go- 
vernment to work them. I presented to him 
a drawing of a plan for washing the cascalho in a 
manner superior to that commonly practised, and 
explained to him the use of grinding or stamping 
those concrete masses frequently found in it, 
which generally contain particles of gold, but 
being too hard to be crushed by the hand, are 
thrown aside among the debris. 

In this fa%enda y as in most others, the con- 
veniences for storing the produce, are so very 
poor and imperfect, that the weevil soon gets into 
the corn, and the cotton, coffee, and other pro- 
duce are liable to be deteriorated in a thousand 
ways. The stabling, too, is bad, and the cattle 
are deplorably neglected; indeed, the only part of 
the live stock that seems to be tolerably well at- 
tended to, is the swine. In the dwelling-house I 
observed a total inattention to domestic comfort; 
its general appearance confirmed a remark which 
I had often heard made, that the owners of estates 
here, dislike to live upon them, and considering 
their residence as only temporary, make shift 
with poor accommodations. 

The tract of land belonging to the farm is full 
two miles square, and though still susceptible of 
great improvement, has not been wholly neg- 
lected; the parts already cleared have produced 
many valuable crops, and the rest will no doubt, 
o 



194 RETURN TO RIO DE JANEIRO. 

in a few years, be brought to an equally promising 
state of cultivation. 

Having staid two days with Captain Ferreira, 
I set out on the morning of the third for Porto 
das Caixas, where I arrived at two o'clock, after a 
journey of thirty miles, and was delayed some 
time, as the river was crowded with vessels, laden 
with ship-timber, for the capital. As soon as the 
navigation became sufficiently open, I embarked 
in a large boat, of about ten tons burthen, and 
rowing all night to the mouth of the river, sailed 
with aland wind, and arrived at Rio de Janeiro 
about noon. My first care was to inform His 
Excellency the minister of my return, after which 
I employed a few days in drawing up my journal 
for his inspection. He received it in the hand- 
somest manner, and laid it before his Royal High- 
ness, who was pleased to signify, that my descrip- 
tion of the country, through which I had tra- 
velled, merited his approbation* 




^ICielho Terde \ 
■> .;' Vas or San Bonsali-: 



TapinTnacaaiga. {» 

Corgos a 
Con.cepca.0 o } \ 
Gasper Snares o /' j£ 



Attn do Principe 

^ Rio de quaere 
Jenatem > 



O Washing s. 

1. CurroJina. 

Z. Datas. 

3- Cappelho Verde. 

4. Cor go de Santa Maria. 

J. Cliappaan. 

6. Passes alto. 



Sca?~ceZ\> l&iewn 



Sahara Catos ^.Icos a 




Where 'Flatina- was fb 
Rare/ 



*Bro7nar> 

q o Joa# jPs'' °^ lZo & Sa n- Michael 

;' Q ^ i&Mbrro dos'Rics, 

Barbaro o) Q < s tt'avras JpMTuis 




Marro de ° o / San Sebastian 

Villa Rica i0,i*"^a 

• , ®<°. 

Capon, o r' Topaz Mine 



i 

Registro VeZho " 

' San Sebastian i / 

Jfontagera, ° } 
Jue-zda Rieera ";; 
Register of Matt£arl>ojJC:. 

Ratrole o 
Register crfRcwaiba 

Register of Fara£baria_^}^ 

ZaboZla o> \ 

Padre. Cbrreo 

a Triage »V 
Foot of the Mountain o.'. 

Piadade o 
Porto da EstreUa 



lattanrut. 



Jtti IT 
of the 
'rmoji's Morrs 




Canto Gallo © 



Cold Washing s 

•0 o Reputed 



■Ferrera ***** ^ 



Mrrro (>iwmado/~ "jEt?" 

-37 IConAehe ^ 



_..°-''Serond Jteaister 
• /zhr/ Register 
o\ Cap! Ferrer a 



JtfO niS JANEIRO 




' Frio 



Published /ur the Act directs .jSzi, by Longman &. Cf Paternoster Row. 



195 



CHAP. X. 

Permission obtained to visit the Diamond Mines. 
— Account of a pretended Diamond presented 
to the Prince Regent Journey to Villa Rica. 

AFTER I had thoroughly recovered from the 
fatigues of my late journey, I solicited his Royal 
Highness for permission to go and explore the 
diamond mines of Cerro do Frio. This favor had 
never as yet been granted to a foreigner, nor had 
any Portuguese been permitted to visit the vici- 
nity where the works are situated, except on bu- 
siness relative to them, and even then under re- 
strictions, which rendered it impossible to acquire 
the means of giving an adequate description of 
them to the public. Through the kind friendship 
of the Conde de Linhares, the permission was 
granted, and my passports and letters of re- 
commendation were speedily made out. Lord 
Strangford was much pleased at my being st) highly 
favored, and willingly offered his service, and repre- 
sented me favorably at court. I obtained admission 
to the archives, for the purpose of examining all 
the manuscript maps, and of copying from any of 
them whatever might be necessary to guide me in 
my route. It may here be proper to observe, that 
the most eligible mode of travelling in the interior 



196 



A PRETENDED DIAMOND 



of Brazil, especially on such an excursion as I 
had undertaken, is to procure orders from the go- 
vernment, and an escort of soldiers, who have a 
right, under such orders, to require proper relays 
of mules from all persons who reside on or near 
the road. The Conde de Linhares intimated to 
me, that I might select any two soldiers I thought 
proper, and while I was deliberating on the 
choice, a singular occurrence took place, which 
was the means of furnishing me with two men'of 
the corps of miners, who were appointed to at- 
tend me, under an injunction on the part of His 
Excellency, that their future promotion would 
depend entirely on the report which I should give 
of their conduct after my return. I am happy 
to say that their services merited every commen- 
dation. 

The occurrence to which I allude was this : — 
A free negro of Villa do Principe, about nine 
hundred miles distant, had the assurance to write 
a letter to the Prince Regent, announcing that 
he possessed an amazingly large diamond which 
he had received from a deceased friend some years 
ago, and which he begged he might have the honor 
to present to His Royal Highness in person. As 
the magnitude which this poor fellow ascribed 
to his diamond was such as to raise imagination 
to its highest pitch, an order was immediately 
dispatched to the commander of Villa do Prin- 
cipe, to send him forthwith to Rio de J aneiro ; he 
was accommodated with a conveyance, and es- 



PRESENTED TO THE PRINCE. 3 97 

corted by two soldiers. As he passed along the 
road, all who had heard the report hailed him as 
already honored with a cross of the order of S. 
Bento, and as sure of being rewarded with the 
pay of a general of brigade. The soldiers also 
anticipated great promotion; and all persons en- 
vied the fortunate negro. At length, after a 
journey which occupied about twenty-eight days, 
he arrived at the capital, and was straightway con- 
veyed to the palace. His happiness was now 
about to be consummated, in a few moments the 
hopes which he had for so many years indulged, 
would be realized, and he should be exalted from 
a low and obscure condition, to a state of afflu- 
ence and distinction: — such, no doubt, were the 
thoughts which agitated him during the moments 
of suspence. At length he was admitted into the 
presence ; he threw himself at the Prince's feet, 
and delivered his wonderful gem. His Highness 
was astonished at its magnitude; a pause ensued; 
the attendants waited to hear the Prince's opi- 
nion, and what he said they seconded. A round 
diamond, nearly a pound in weight, filled them 
all with wonder; some ready calculators reckoned 
the millions it was worth; others found it diffi- 
cult to numerate the sum at which it would be 
valued, but the general opinion of His Highness's 
servants was, that the treasury was many mil- 
lions of crowns the richer. The noise which this 
occurrence created among the higher circles, may 
be easily conceived; the general topic of remark 



198 



VISIT TO THE 



and wonder, was the negro's offering. It was 
shewn to the ministers, among whom an appre- 
hension, and even a doubt, was expressed, that a 
substance so large and round might not prove a 
real diamond ; they, however, sent it to the trea- 
sury under a guard, and it was lodged in the de- 
posit of the jewel-room. 

On the next day, the Conde de Linhares sent 
for me, and related all the circumstances which 
had come to his knowledge respecting this famous 
jewel, adding, in a low tone of voice, that he had 
his doubts about its proving a genuine diamond. 
His Excellency directed me to attend at his office 
in a few hours, when letters from himself and the 
other ministers to the Treasury should be given 
me % for permission to see this invaluable gem, in 
order to determine what it really was. Readily 
accepting a charge of so interesting a nature, I 
prepared myself, and attended at the hour ap- 
pointed, when I received the letters, which I pre- 
sented at the treasury to an officer in waiting, J 
was led through several apartments, in which 
much business seemed to be transacting, to the 
grand chamber, where presided the treasurer, at- 
tended by his secretaries. Having my letters in 
his hand, he entered into some conversation with 
me relative to the subject; I was then shewn 
through other grand apartments hung with scarlet 

* No person can be permitted to see the diamonds in the Treasury 
w ithout a joint order from the ministers to that effect. 



TREASURY. 



199 



and gold, and ornamented with figures as large 
as life, representing justice holding the balance. 
In the inner room, to which we were con- 
ducted, there were several strong chests with 
three locks each, the keys of which were kept 
by three different officers, who were all required 
to be present at the opening. One of these 
chests being unlocked, an elegant little cabinet 
was taken out, from which the treasurer took the 
gem* and in great form presented it to me. Its 
value sunk at the first sight, for before I touched 
it, I was convinced that it was a rounded piece 
of crystal. It was above two inches in dia- 
meter. On examining it, I told the governor 
it was not a diamond; and to convince him I 
took a diamond of five or six carats, and with 
it cut a very deep nick in the stone. This was 
proof positive ; a certificate was accordingly made 
out, stating, that it was an inferior substance of 
little or no value, which I signed. 

Other boxes were now unlocked, from one of 
which they showed me two large slabs of diamond, 
each a full inch on the superficies, and about the 
eighth of an inch in thickness, of a very bad 
brown color. When found, they formed one en- 
tire piece, which, being amorphous, was not 
known to be a diamond, until the administrator or 
chief of the working party, after keeping it by 
him many days, had recourse to the old experi- 
ment of placing it on a hard stone and striking it 
with a hammer. The result of this experiment is, 



200 



REPORT ON THE 



that if the substance resist the blow, or, separate 
in laminse, it must be a diamond; the latter was 
the case in the present instance, and the man hav- 
ing thus made two diamonds from one, transmit- 
ted them to the intendant. 

The river Abaite, from whence these pieces 
came, has produced one of an octahedral form, 
which weighs seven-eights of an ounce Troy, and 
is perhaps the largest diamond in the world. It 
was found about twelve years ago by three men 
who were under sentence of banishment for high 
crimes; but on presenting this valuable gem to 
the then Viceroy, they were pardoned and re- 
warded. It is now in the private possession of 
the Prince Regent. 

I was afterwards favored with a sight of the re- 
maining diamonds in the Treasury ; they appeared 
to be in quantity about four or five thousand carats. 
The largest did not generally exceed eight carats, 
except one of a fine octahedral form, full seventeen. 
Among the few colored diamonds, one of the 
smallest was of a beautiful pink, one of a fine blue, 
and several were of a green tinge ; the yellow were 
the most common and least esteemed. 

Having now finished my business, I took my 
leave of the treasurer, with thanks for his polite 
attention, and on my return home wrote a letter 
to the Conde de Linhares, stating the result of 
my visit. It was no agreeable task to a stranger 
to have to announce that a substance which had 
been considered as an inestimable addition to the 



PRETENDED DIAMOND. 



201 



treasures of the state, was in reality, though sin- 
gular in its appearance, of very trifling value, and 
this too in a letter which was to he laid hefore the 
Prince. His Highness, however, was prepared 
for the intelligence, and was too noble-minded to 
manifest any chagrin at the disappointment. The 
poor negro who had presented it was of course 
deeply afflicted by this unwelcome news; instead 
of being accompanied home by an escort, he had 
to find his way thither as he could, and would, no 
doubt, have to encounter the ridicule and contempt 
of those who had of late congratulated him on his 
good fortune. 

When I had nearly completed my preparations 
for the journey, Mr. Goodall, a most respectable 
merchant, expressed a desire to accompany me to 
Villa Rica, which I readily acceded to, as he was 
a most agreeable companion. Lord Strangford 
having procured him passports from the ministers, 
he was enabled to join me without delay. On the 
17th of August, 1809, we set out on a journey 
which no Englishman had ever before undertaken, 
nor had any ever yet been permitted to pass the 
barrier of alpine mountains that stretch along the 
coast. 

Having embarked in a large market-boat with 
our retinue, which consisted of the two soldiers 
before mentioned, and my servant, a most trusty 
negro-boy, we made sail at mid-day with a sea- 
breeze, and ran down the bay about six leagues. 
We then passed the island of Governador and 



202 



JOURNEY TO 



various others, one of which was the beautiful 
Cocoa-nut island. Proceeding along the strait, 
formed by it and another of similar extent, we 
crossed a fine open bay, and arrived at the mouth of 
the Moremim, a picturesque river which presents 
in its serpentine course a great variety of beautiful 
scenery. It was now sun-set; the weather was 
mild and serene, and we paused awhile to enjoy 
one of the finest rural prospects which we had 

ever seen in Brazil a fine romantic fore-ground, 

enriched by the vivid foliage of the woods on the 
banks of the stream, and contrasted by the bold 
outline of the mountains in the distance, among 
which we noticed that singular chain of perpen- 
dicular rocks, called the Organpipe mountains, 
from their resemblance in form and position to the 
front of the instrument alluded to. Having ad- 
vanced two leagues up the river, we arrived at a 
village on its margin, called Porto da Estrella, a 
place of great stir and bustle, on account of the 
hourly arrival of numerous droves of mules laden 
with produce from the interior. Here are some 
poor dwellings, and a number of large storehouses 
for the reception of the produce. The muleteers, 
being provided with bedding and cooking utensils, 
never leave their cattle, so that good inns are to 
them unnecessary. We were shewn into the best 
in the place, which was as dirty and inconvenient 
as can possibly be imagined . I shall forbear to 
detail the discomforts of the night, and merely 
observe that they were such as to make us early 



THE DIAMOND DISTRICT. 



203 



stirrers in the morning. Our soldiers procured us 
mules, but owing to the great bustle of loading 
and unloading, we were not in travelling order 
until ten o'clock. We now proceeded about three 
leagues along the low land, having the range of 
mountains on our left, and passing the village of 
Piedade entered on a beautiful plain at their base. 
We stopped at a house at which the Prince Re- 
gent had remained three nights for the benefit of 
the air ; but not being able to procure refreshment 
there, we passed on and began our ascent along 
an excellent paved road, extending five miles on 
a very steep elevation along the sides and over the 
ridges of the mountains. Having rested awhile 
at the half-way-house, which we had been near 
an hour in gaining, we toiled on, relieving our- 
selves at times by turning to take a view of 
Rio de J aneiro, and the bay, which from this lofty 
eminence appeared to great advantage. With 
some difficulty we reached the summit, which, as 
I suppose, is four thousand feet above the level 
of the sea; the atmosphere was at least ten de- 
grees colder than on the plain. 

Our next halting place was a small village called 
Corgo Seco, situated in a most rugged and uneven 
district, with not half an acre of level ground in 
any part of its vicinity. Having taken some re- 
freshment here, we proceeded to Relmonte, a 
beautiful spot, situated by the edge of a rapid 
stream, which washes the base of an immense 
mountain of granite on the left, We journeyed 



204 



FARM OF PADRE CORREA. 



along this stream until we reached a station called 
Padre Correa, from the name of its owner. It 
consists of a house and chapel, with a handsome 
area in front. The Father maintains a large estab- 
lishment of negroes, many of whom are employed 
in beating out mules' shoes from the cool Swedish 
iron, after they have been forged into form; For 
these articles there is a considerable demand, as 
the unwrought material pays no duty on this side 
the river Paraiba, while on the other it is taxed 
full 100 per cent, which is also* the case with salt. 
The great consumption of these necessary articles 
has probably induced Government to lay these 
heavy duties upon them, but certainly every prin- 
ciple of good policy furnishes an argument against 
the measure. Padre Correa received us very hos- 
pitably, afforded us an asylum for the night, and 
assisted us in regulating our baggage by supply- 
ing a pair of cane panniers for one of the mules, 
which proved very serviceable. Before sun-rise 
we were awakened by the clatter of hammers in 
the forges; the weather was dewy, and so cold 
that my thermometer was down at 46 degrees. We 
passed some time in viewing the garden, which 
Was in tolerable order, and contained some fine 
peach trees in blossom. Our host informed us, 
that he had a good plantation a few miles distant, 
but his chief concern was the selling of corn and 
shoes for the use of the mules. 

Leaving this station we skirted the Piabunha, a 
river abounding in falls, which flows into the Pa- 



ESTATE OF CAPTAIN BARBOSA. 205 

raiba. Among the hills and dales which we tra- 
versed, we at times observed farm-houses and 
plantations; but the road, farther on, was quite 
confined by continual wood-scenery. After pro- 
ceeding about twenty miles we reached Cebolla, a 
tolerable establishment, consisting of a house of 
two stories, a small chapel, and a sugar-engine, in 
an unfinished state, situated in the bottom of a 
valley. The owner, Captain Jose Antonio Bar- 
bosa, was a Portuguese of the old school; he 
seemed much vexed that His Royal Highness had 
permitted strangers to travel the country, and 
treated us with a constrained civility, which shew- 
ed us that he thought we were come about no 
good. His conversation ran continually against 
the operations of Government in laying taxes upon 
rum and other commodities; and though he tasted 
the sweets of office, being part-renter of the lu- 
crative ferry of Paraiba, which post he obtained 
through the interest of a very worthy gentleman 
in Rio de J aneiro, yet he had all the acerbity of 
a disappointed place-hunter. His self-interested 
and narrow-minded views were but too plainly di- 
rected to one object, monopoly ; the mere mention 
of the Prince Regent's liberality in permitting 
strangers to reside in Brazil appeared to torture 
him, and in short, so much of the snarler did he 
display while discussing this topic, that no cha- 
racter could have more forcibly reminded us of 
the dog in the manger. It is, however, but fair 
to add, that while indulging in severe reflections 



206 ESTATE OF CAPTAIN BARBOSA. 

on strangers, he did not forget the duties of hos- 
pitality ; before we went to rest, he invited us to 
partake of a family supper, consisting of a boiled 
duck smothered in rice, and a stewed pullet, to 
which sat down eight people, including ourselves. 
Having thanked our host for his kindness, we re- 
tired to the apartments allotted to us. My bed 
was so uneasy that I was obliged to sit up during 
most of the night, having no alternative, for as 
the clay floor was neither boarded nor paved, I 
could not venture to throw the bed clothes upon 
it, and sleep there. Never did mortal hail day- 
break with greater satisfaction; but my agreeable 
feelings were soon damped by one of those little 
vexatious accidents which in some states of mind 
are more hard to bear than real misfortunes. I 
had placed my thermometer in a wind-door or air- 
hole (for the aperture was not glazed) ; a stupid 
fellow, in fastening the bridle of a mule to one of 
the bars, threw down the instrument and broke it. 
Luckily I had another, therefore the loss was not 
so grievous. 

Our soldiers having, with their wonted alacrity, 
provided mules, we set out at an early hour, and en- 
tered upon a much more level road than that of 
the preceding day. We passed along several val- 
leys, the surface of which presented clay and de- 
composed granite, in some places more ferrugi- 
nous than in others. There are numerous sheds 
all the way for the refreshment of travellers and 
their cattle. This day's journey being only six- 



FERRY OF PARAIBtTNA. 



207 



teen miles, we soon completed it, arriving about 
noon at the ferry of Paraibuna. This river, though 
as wide as the Thames at Westminster, is unnavi- 
gable, by reason of the large rocks which impede 
its course. The ferry-boat arriving, we went into 
it with all our mules, and were conveyed with 
oars and setting poles to the other side, where we 
found a Register for the examination of passengers, 
their passports, and property. The place is guard- 
ed by a few old soldiers, under the command of a 
lieutenant, who, though in ill healtk, shewed us 
every attention. Our soldiers got us a dinner 
cooked at a venda*, kept by a young man originally 
from Oporto; we took tea and supped with the 
commandant, who assigned to us an apartment in 
the Register. He was very civil, and seemed 
highly pleased to see us, frequently exclaiming, 
" Os Inglezes sao grande gente," (the English are 
a great nation). We were gratified by this and 
other national compliments which he paid us, and 
not less so by the respect which every one who 
came to visit us testified for our country, as being 
in alliance with a Prince to whom they were en- 
thusiastically devoted. 
The Register is a substantial edifice of wood, 

* This name is given to what we should call a huckster's shop, where 
various articles, such as liquors, Indian corn, and sometimes sugar, are 
sold. Though they profess to answer the purpose of inns, they are 
destitute of conveniences; travellers who carry their beds and cooking 
utensils with them, generally prefer lodging in a rancho or estaliaxfc, 
Shelter from rain and night air is the only convenience which a lodg- 
ing in these districts can be expected to afford. 



208 



REGISTER OF PARAIBUNA. 



built on posts to preserve it from the overflows 
of the river, which frequently inundate the sandy 
fjat on which it stands. It contains a few rooms, 
which serve as barracks for the guards, and has a 
handsome gallery fronting the ferry. The station 
is low, and in summer is said to be very hot and 
unhealthy; a circumstance which, joined to the 
indolence and poverty of the inhabitants, may suf- 
ficiently account for the general appearance of de- 
bility observable among them. The little employ- 
ment they have arises chiefly from the passengers 
who frequent this great thoroughfare, and from 
the numerous troops of mules which are continu- 
ally arriving on their way to, as well as from, the 
interior. The barges of the ferry are as fine ves- 
sels as any I ever saw used for the purpose; and 
indeed they ought to be, for a considerable toll is 
paid, not only for every mule, or other beast of 
burden, but for every person crossing the river. 
The annual amount collected yields, no doubt, a 
handsome profit to the renters ; but it might be 
considerably augmented if a regular road were 
opened to Canta Gallo, which is only eighteen 
leagues distant. 

Being informed that our next day's journey 
would be an arduous one, on account of the hilly 
district through which we should have to pass, we 
retired to rest betimes, and were stirring at an 
early hour. We mounted fresh mules, and pro- 
ceeded along a good road through a rugged and 
thinly peopled district; in the course of five 



ROSINA DE NEGRA. 



209 



leagues, we passed over seven very high granite 
mountains, and eight smaller ones, and at length 
reached the ferry of the Paraiba, a river consi- 
derably larger than the Paraibuna. At the Re- 
gister belonging to it, which is more extensive 
and better guarded than the former, all goods are 
examined and weighed, paying duty according to 
their weight, whatever be their kind, quality, or 
value. This regulation bears very unequally upon 
different articles; salt, for instance, pays nearly 
cent, per cent, iron and lead about the same; 
while woollens, cottons, and other light goods do 
not, on an average, exceed eight or ten per cent. 

The commandant of the Register offered us 
every assistance, and was kind enough to provide 
us a fresh mule for our baggage. The short time 
we staid here did not allow much leisure for ob- 
servation ; and, indeed, there was little of novelty 
to observe. The situation of the Register is plea- 
sant; the country around is well wooded and 
fertile, though mountainous. The river is almost 
destitute of fish. 

We proceeded about a league and a half farther, 
through thick woods, and arrived at a place named 
Rosina de Negra, where we halted for the night. 
Our next day's journey presented the same va- 
rieties of hill and ravine as those we had already 
passed. In one part of the road we observed a 
kind of barracks, consisting of an estalagem and 
some ranchos or huts, where an officer and about 
twenty horse-soldiers are stationed ; they patrole 
p 



210 REGISTER OF MATHIAS BARBOZA, 

the road, and are authorised to stop travellers, 
and make the strictest search of those whom they 
suspect of having gold-dust or diamonds con- 
cealed. Proceeding two leagues, we arrived at 
the Register of Mathias Barboza, situated in the 
midst of an almost impervious wood. It was 
built about sixty or seventy years ago, by the 
gentleman whose name it bears, and who was an 
ancestor of the noble family of Sousa. 

This Register is a large oblong building, with 
two great doors at each end, through which all 
travellers, with their mules, are required to pass. 
On entering, they stop, and deliver their pass- 
ports to a soldier for examination by the com- 
mander, who, if he judges that a correct account 
is given of the property, suffers them to proceed: 
but if any grounds of suspicion occur, the mules 
are unloaded, and all the contents of their cargoes 
are examined with the strictest scrutiny. In these 
examinations it not unfrequently happens that a 
negro has been suspected of swallowing a dia- 
mond ; in which case, he is shut up in a bare room 
until such time as the truth can be proved. The 
command of this station is entrusted to a major. 
The inner part of the building consists of apart- 
ments for the officers, ranchos for the soldiers, cells 
for the confinement of suspected persons, and 
stabling for the mules. In the yard there are 
numerous posts, to which the cattle are tied while 
loading or unloading. There is also a venda for 
the accommodation of travellers. 



FARM OF MADEIRAS. 211 

Leaving this place, we proceeded through an 
extensive tract of wood, in which we occasionally 
observed a few deer, hut no birds, except now 
and then a green parrot or a wood-pecker. The 
road, as far as the eye could reach, was bounded 
on each hand by close continuous thickets, and 
rarely enlivened by traces of habitation. Those 
persons who live by the way-side are commonly 
of the lowest order, who settle there with the 
view of selling refreshments to travellers, and 
corn for the mules ; they are in general an idle, 
gossipping race: the more respectable classes re- 
side at a distance from the public road. 

We arrived about four in the evening at a farm- 
house called Madeiras, belonging to Captain Jose 
Pinto de Sousa. The situation is cold and salu- 
brious, the vicinity well-watered, and abounding 
in fine tracts of arable and pasture land, but de- 
plorably neglected. The owner seemed to prefer 
ease, with inconvenience, to labor, with comfort ; 
and, satisfied with the spontaneous bounty of na- 
ture, cared little about improving it by industry. 
The house itself was miserably out of repair : its 
walls, which consisted of lattice-work plastered 
with clay, were full of holes and crevices, and its 
roof was in a very crazy and shattered condition. 
We fared but poorly, and passed a very indiffer- 
ent night ; often reflecting on the apathy and list- 
less indolence of the people : who, thought we, in 
a cold climate would live in a dwelling full of 



212 FAZENDA DO JUIZ DE FORA. 

cracks and air-holes, when a few dashes of mud 
might render it comparatively comfortable! 

From this place, which is an hundred miles 
from Porto da Estrella, we continued our route 
next day over a chain of mountains, among which 
we encountered other falls of the Paraiba nearer 
its source, and, traversing a tract of close wood- 
land, arrived at a station called the Fazenda do 
Juiz de Fora. Here we procured fresh mules, 
and proceeded for a considerable distance on the 
ascent, when we met with two planters from 
Minas Novas, who were going to Rio de Janeiro 
with forty-six mules loaded with cotton, packed 
in raw hides, each beast carrying two packages. 
They had been nearly three months on the road. 
We availed ourselves of their kind offers to carry 
intelligence to our friends in the capital, and gave 
them letters for that purpose. 

The remainder of our day's journey afforded 
few incidents worth notice. We observed several 
pines of a singular species, which yielded abund- 
ance of resin. In one part of the road I shot a 
most beautiful bird, the name of which I could 
not learn, but was informed that it flew about 
much in the night. In another part, we noticed a 
beast of prey, which was crossing the road before 
us, and fled at our approach. I killed a small 
water-snake with two fins near its vent. 

We arrived towards evening at the fazenda of 
Antonio Ferreira, formerly a good house, but now 



FAZENDA DE ANTONIO FERRE1RA. 213 



almost in ruins. The owner was not at home ; but 
his old negro-servants provided as handsomely for 
us as we could have expected them to do if he 
had been present. We made a tolerable supper 
of stewed fowls, with the addition of a fine wild 
turkey, which I had killed in the vicinity. I may 
here observe, that a traveller in this country should 
neglect no opportunity of providing for himself 
with his gun, as he is never certain of palatable 
fare at the places where he alights. 

The surface of the country is in general good 
strong clay ; all the rocks are of gneiss and granite, 
in the composition of which hornblende predo- 
minates. We this day passed the site of the first 
gold-washing, which is very small, and has been 
many years abandoned. The rivulets have a great 
deal of oxide of iron in small grains mixed with 
the sand in their eddies. In some places the gra- 
nite is in a decomposing state, and there are large 
nodules of what the Germans call griinstein, which 
appear not unlike basalt. The air in these elevat- 
ed districts is fresh and cool, except from two to 
four o'clock in the afternoon, when I found it ra- 
ther hot. In the evening, while amusing ourselves 
with shooting, we observed a man in a friar's ha- 
bit, with a box bearing a picture of the Virgin, 
fastened to his waist by a belt. His face was 
overgrown with hair, and his whole appearance ex- 
ceedingly wild and uncouth. On inquiry, we 
were informed that this extraordinary figure was 
a hermit ; and that he had embraced this austere 



214 FARM OF DONA CLARA 

life by way of doing penance for some great 
crime. 

Having pursued our diversion while day-light 
lasted, we returned to the house, where, for the 
first time since our departure from Rio, we par- 
took of a comfortable meal, and regaled ourselves 
with a bottle of excellent Madeira, which my 
worthy companion by good fortune had brought 
with him. 

We set out next day by sun-rise, and proceeded 
some miles along a tolerable road. The vallies as ' 
we advanced were wider, and more easy of culti- 
vation, but the mountains were excessively steep. 
On even ground our general pace was three or 
four miles an hour, but on the acclivities we pro- 
ceeded slowly, and were obliged to observe every 
step of our mules, and to balance ourselves ac- 
cordingly. This action of the body produces no 
perceptible consequences for the first few days, 
but afterwards it begins to torture the loins with 
a species of lumbago. 

After a journey of twenty-eight miles, which 
occupied nine hours, we found ourselves at six in 
the evening at a small farm-house called Fazenda 
de Dona Clara e Dona Maria. These two good 
ladies honored us with a more polite reception 
than we had hitherto experienced on the journey. 
It being the festival of St. Bartholomew, a great 
holiday among the Brazilians, they had prepared 
a more sumptuous dinner than usual, of which 
they kindly invited us to partake. We were the 



AND DONA MARIA. 



215 



more sensible of this act of hospitality, because it 
evidently proceeded from sincere good-will ; and, 
like the widow's mite, derived additional merit from 
the smallness of the store which supplied the 
means of performing it. Their establishment 
seemed barely provided with necessaries ; and the 
house in which they lived was ill built and scantily 
furnished. We could not but smile at the earnest- 
ness with which one of these worthy ladies com- 
plained of the hardness of the times; they paid, 
she observed, a moidore every three years in taxes. 
How happy, thought we, would our English spin^ 
sters of slender incomes deem themselves in being 
so lightly assessed ! 

We passed the evening tolerably, having pro- 
vided ourselves with candles, which we found very 
necessary both here and in other places on the 
road ; for the rooms in general are lighted only by 
a glimmering lamp, which rather augments than 
diminishes their melancholy gloom. 

In the morning we were informed that the 
mules which had been provided for us over-night 
were taken away from the stable. This so en- 
raged our soldier, that he immediately rode in 
quest of them, brought them back, and pressed 
others for our service. We here saw the conve- 
nience of travelling under official orders : had we 
not been so provided, we might have been ex- 
posed to a most vexatious delay. These military 
requisitions of cattle may be considered by the 
owner as a grievance ; but he generally indemni*- 



216 



AGRICULTURE NEGLECTED 



fies himself by high charges to other travellers, 
and by impositions in the way of trade. 

Being now within the province of Minas Geraes, 
(a country famed at Rio de Janeiro for its excel- 
lent cheese), I expected to see some improvement 
in the condition of the country, — some establish- 
ment worthy of being called a farm, some dwell- 
ing, constructed not merely for shelter but for 
comfort. I hoped to remark among the inhabit- 
ants that air of health and animation which springs 
from the invigorating occupations and cheering 
pursuits of husbandry; but no such pleasing 
change was perceptible : the same want of exer- 
tion prevailed here as in other parts of the coun- 
try ; the people seemed to act as if the tenure by 
which they held their lands was about to be abo- 
lished; all around them had the appearance of 
make-shift; their old houses, fast hastening to de- 
cay, bore no marks of repair about them ; wherever 
a bit of garden-ground was inclosed, it appeared 
overrun with weeds ; where coffee-trees, planted 
in former years, still existed, the present occu- 
piers were too indolent to gather the fruit ; no in- 
closures were made for pasturage; a few goats 
supplied the little milk that was consumed ; and 
cows-milk was rarely to be procured. On ob- 
serving these deplorable consequences of the 
apathy of the inhabitants, I could not but reflect, 
on the advantages which might accrue from the 
introduction of the English system of agriculture 
among them. The example of a single farm, con- 



IN MINAS GERAES. 



217 



ducted on that system, might go far towards rous- 
ing the people from their slothful state ; and, 
when they once felt their faculties awakened, they 
would he ashamed to lounge about as they now 
do, under an old great coat, for days together, 
burthens to themselves, and objects of contempt 
to all strangers who see them. 

The next place we visited, after quitting the re- 
sidence of these old ladies, offered every requisite 
for making the experiment above alluded to. It 
was a J azenda called Mantiqueira, situated in the 
largest plain we had hitherto traversed, consist- 
ing of rich land watered by numerous streams. 
The establishment was in a fit state to begin with : 
the house was falling to ruin, and the grounds 
about it were overrun with weeds and brush- 
wood. What more desirable situation, exclaimed 
I to my companion, could an English farmer se- 
lect! Here cattle of every description are cheap; 
cows and oxen at two years old may be purchased 
at 30s. or 40s. per head; excellent horses from 60s. 
to <£8. each; and pigs, poultry, and other live-stock, 
at a price too trifling to mention. Here is land 
which, under the influence of this genial climate, 
is capable of yielding two hundred-fold; here is 
wood in abundance for every purpose ; excellent 
clay for making bricks ; and water at command. 
Yet all these advantages are lost to the present 
occupiers, who consider them too cheap to be va- 
luable; and, perpetually hankering after the pre- 
cious minerals, seem to think that the only 



218 



BORDA DO CAMPO. 



standard for estimating the gifts of nature, is the 
difficulty of obtaining them. 

Having passed the hamlet of St. Sebastian, we 
arrived late in the evening at Borda do Campo, 
a village consisting of about twenty houses, the 
best of which is that of Captain Rodrigo de 
Lima, who, on learning our situation, kindly took 
us in for the night. While supper was preparing, 
we had some conversation with him respecting 
the agriculture and produce of the neighbour- 
hood, in the course of which he paid much atten- 
tion to our observations, and promised next day 
to shew us the system he pursued. At the re- 
past, which was speedily announced, he intro- 
duced us to his wife and daughter, and a lady 
who was then on a visit to them. This was an 
unexpected act of politeness, and one which had 
never yet been exercised towards us by any mas- 
ter of a family in the whole course of our jour- 
ney. The few females we occasionally saw at 
any former place generally secluded themselves on 
our arrival and during our stay ; and, when they 
came near us by chance, they commonly ran away 
in as much apparent alarm as if they had been 
accustomed to be frightened at the name of an 
Englishman. The ladies appeared in very neat 
dresses of English manufacture, with a profusion 
of gold chains about their necks, which are al- 
ways worn on receiving or paying visits. Their 
conversation was gay and enlivening; they were 
very inquisitive respecting the costume of Eng- 



CAPTAIN RODRIGO DE LIMA. 219 

lish women, and seemed quite astonished at hear- 
ing that they wore caps, it being never the cus- 
tom among the Brazilian females to cover their 
heads until advanced in years. They ornament 
their hair with combs, frequently of gold, and 
very richly wrought. Wine was introduced, of 
which the ladies could not be prevailed on to par- 
take : they gave our healths by putting the glass 
to their lips. After supper, the table was covered 
with delicious sweetmeats; when, being desirous 
of paying the lady of the house a compliment, I 
spoke highly of their excellence, and presumed 
that the fruits were preserved under her immediate 
direction; but she assured me to the contrary, 
and observed that her negress did all that sort 
of domestic work. I perceived, or imagined, that 
she was rather offended at my remark, and there- 
fore apologized by saying, that it was not uncom- 
mon for the ladies in England to interest them- 
selves personally in the concerns of housewifery. 
The remainder of the evening passed off very 
agreeably. 

On looking out of my chamber-window the fol- 
lowing morning, I was surprised to see two small 
and very neat inclosures, in one of which flax was 
growing, and in the other wheat. The latter, 
which apparently had been sown about seven 
weeks, was very poor and unpromising: the 
ground had too much water, and seemed of late 
to have been flooded. Our host regaled us with 
a breakfast of stewed fowl, excellent coffee and 



220 FARMING ESTABLISHMENT OF 

milk, and a dish of feij ones, with mandioca and 
buttered toast; after which he conducted us to 
his inclosures. 

The flax was very healthful and strong : he told 
us he cut* it three or four times a year, and that 
it was dressed, spun, and woven in his own house. 
He grew but little, having occasion for no more 
than what answered his domestic purposes. The 
wheat, he told us, was blighted. He shewed us a 
sample of last year's growth, which was very 
poor, coarse, and foul. The mills are of similar 
construction to those used at Canta Gallo, but I 
did not observe a pair of stones fit for the grind- 
ing of wheat. 

I now expressed a wish to see his dairy, which 
the good gentleman immediately complied with. 
Instead of an apartment, such as I expected to 
find, fitted up and kept in order for that sole pur- 
pose, I was shewn into a kind of dirty store-room, 
the smell of which was intolerable. The present, 
I was told, was not the time for making cheese, 
as the cows gave milk only in the rainy season. I 
begged to see the implements used in the pro- 
cess ; and, on examining them, found, to my utter 
astonishment, that neither the vats nor cloths had 
been washed since they were last used ; and the 

• In this country the practice of cutting flax is attended with great 
success, and is preferred to that of pulling it, which prevails elsewhere. 
The fibres, though cut, are considered sufficiently long to be spun and 
made into good common linen. The old roots produce fresh shoots in- 
credibly soon. 



CAPTAIN RODRIGO DE LIMA. 221 

milk-pails, &c. were in the same condition. This 
sufficiently accounted for the offensive smell 
which I had perceived on entering the place. 
When I asked to see the utensil used for making 
butter, an apology was made, by stating that it 
was not in the way: they had observed my dis- 
gust at the other vessels, and probably thought 
that this was equally unfit to be inspected. I did 
all in my power to inform our worthy host of the 
manner in which English dairies were conducted, 
and gave him several directions, which he wrote 
down, but seemed quite indifferent about adopting 
them. On enquiry, I found that no provision was 
made for the cows; there were no houses erected 
for milking, and that operation was frequently 
neglected, and at all times badly performed. 

The premises bore traces of the industry and 
taste of the former occupants : there was a mud- 
wall round them, encompassing about an acre of 
ground, which, when perfect, must have given the 
whole a retired and comfortable appearance ; but 
it was now partly broken down in ruins. The 
steps leading to the front door of the dwelling 
were of the lapis ollaris, or pot-stone, of which 
substance there is a stratum in the vicinity. 

Our cattle being ready, we mounted about 
eleven in the forenoon, returning thanks to our 
host, and offering to pay for the accommodation 
we had met with ; but the only compensation he 
required, was a promise, on our part, to pass a 
day or two with him on our return. The ladies, 



222 



REGISTRO VELHO, 



who had not appeared at breakfast, came out 
upon the gallery, and very pleasingly and politely 
wished us a good journey. 

Resuming our route, we passed several small 
farms, and observed that the blight had destroyed 
all their bananas, and withered their coffee-trees. 
My thermometer at the time was not lower than 
52°, but the damage had been done some days be- 
fore by a sharp southerly wind. In some parts of 
the road there were very small inclosures of flax 
and rye. The country now appeared more open, 
and the wood-scenery lay at a greater distance* 
We rode by the side of a barren mountain, 
which was covered to an extent of three miles 
with quartz, and produced little or no herbage, 
except a species of wiry or Avindle grass, which 
was much parched by the sun. We descended 
a declivity tremendously steep, and full a mile in 
length, at the bottom of which we crossed the Rio 
das Mortes, here a small rivulet. On its further 
bank is an estalagem, or inn^ called Registro Velho, 
(Old Register) having been originally built as a 
searching-office, to prevent the smuggling of gold* 
Proceeding hence, the eye is again relieved from 
confined wood-scenery by the prospect of a grand 
amphitheatre of mountains, which are bounded 
by others of amazing magnitude, covered with 
forests. On the side of one hill, which we skirted 
obliquely, I observed several crystallized masses, 
which, on examination, proved to be clusters of 
cubes of ferruginous quartz of a dark-brown co- 



RESEQUINHA. 223 

lor. We shortly afterwards arrived at a village 
called Barbacena, situated on a commanding emi- 
nence, in a most fertile country, and apparently 
containing about two hundred dwelling-houses. 
While we stopped to take some refreshment, 
numbers of the inhabitants came to look at us, 
having never before seen Englishmen, and being 
on the rack of curiosity to know the objects of 
our journey. At this place two great roads from 
the mining country unite, and form the main road 
to Rio de Janeiro. That to the westward leads 
from S. Joao d'El Rey, Sahara, and Cuiaba; the 
other from Villa Rica, Mariana, Villa do Principe, 
Tejuco, Minas Novas, &c. Being a sort of half- 
way station to the capital, and the last open place 
on the road, it is much frequented by people from 
different parts of the interior, and has a consider- 
able traffic in various articles, particularly baizes, 
cotton goods, salt, and iron. Many of the shops 
were well stocked with English manufactures. 
The place is governed by an Ouvidor, or justice 
of the peace, and a military officer. In its neigh- 
bourhood there is a quarry of soft, whitish gra- 
nite, from which mill-stones are made; but, from 
the specimens I saw of it, the material must be 
very unfit for such a purpose. 

We arrived, about four in the evening, at a poor 
place called Resequinha, the owner of which made 
every provision for us which his scanty means af- 
forded. He dispatched a negro to gather grass 
for the mules, which is here incredibly scarce; and 



224 RESEQUINHA. 

v 

killed us a fowl or two for dinner. The time pre- 
vious to that meal hung heavy on our hands ; there 
were no birds to afford us an hour's shooting, and 
we had no source of diversion, except that which 
the lively fancy and inexhaustible humor of my 
companion afforded. We dined heartily about 
seven o'clock on stewed fowls and mandioca, which 
fully supplied the want of bread. That article is 
so extremely scarce in these parts, that even the 
populous village of Barbacena, though situated 
in the richest corn-district of the province, could 
furnish us only one rusk. Being overcome with 
weariness, we prepared for rest. One of our beds 
was placed on the table, the other on a dried hide 
stretched upon the clay floor. These were miser- 
able accommodations; but sleep knows little dis- 
tinction between the hovel and the palace, and a 
man thoroughly disposed may enjoy it as soundly 
in one as in the other. So it was with my com- 
panion ; he was in a profound slumber within five 
minutes after he had lain down, in despite of the 
rough materials of which his pallet was composed. 
Mine prevented me from sleeping, and compelled 
me to sit up during most of the , night ; it con- 
sisted, as well as his, of the leaves of Indian 
corn crammed into a bag, with the mouth tied up ; 
but the careless negro who performed that opera- 
tion had neglected to pick out the core or pith from 
which the grain is rubbed, so that there was no 
finding an easy posture upon it. I sat musing on 
the absolute wretchedness of every thing around; 



PAZENDA DO GAMA. 



225 



a miserable lamp hung over our heads and threw 
a dismal glimmer about the apartment ; the floor 
was uneven and broken into holes; the table, 
on which we had dined, consisted of one large 
plank of a quality not discoverable without the 
assistance of a scraper, as it had never been 
cleaned since it was made ; there was not a chair 
or any thing resembling a seat, except an antique 
bench with a back to it, fixed at a distance on one 
side of the table, so that some of the guests had 
to take their repast standing. The very beasts in 
the out-houses were better provided for than the 
master, if we might judge from the healthy con- 
dition of those we saw, whose slothful apathy 
could be matched only with that of the swine 
they fed. 

We left Resequinha an hour after day-break, 
and entered on some clayey ground which caused 
our mules to come down frequently, as they were 
unshod. The day being Sunday we found some 
difficulty in procuring fresh mules, as they were 
all engaged in taking their masters to mass. After 
proceeding about a league and a half we arrived 
at the fa%enda do Gama, consisting of a good 
mansion and some out-buildings. The house, 
which is the residence of a major, stands on an 
eminence in a fine open country, beautifully in- 
terspersed with clumps of trees and small patches 
of wood, but wholly uncultivated and destitute 
of inclosures. The land appeared much burnt 
up, and ill supplied with water, but the vallies, 
Q 



226 LADIES OF THIS PROVINCE, 

we were told, abounded in numerous streams and 
rivulets. Having stopped at the door, we were 
saluted by the voice of a fine motherly-looking 
lady, apparently about forty, who invited us to 
alight, and we readily obeyed, having occasion 
to change our baggage-mule. Two young ladies, 
the daughters of the one whom we had first seen, 
came on the gallery to welcome us. As the morn- 
ing was cool, they were covered with purple 
mantles of baize, which left only a part of the face 
exposed, but shewed us sufficient to prove that 
the females of this province, here called mineras, 
are above mediocrity in personal charms. This 
opinion was confirmed on entering the house, 
where these ladies appeared to much greater ad- 
vantage ; they were in the bloom of health, rather 
tall in stature, and in their air and gestures ex- 
tremely graceful. We had just entered into con- 
versation when in came our soldier to announce 
that the baggage-mule was loaded, and that the 
day was so far spent as barely to allow time enough 
to reach the next station before night. This 
honest fellow for the first time on our journey was 
the bearer of unwelcome news. I asked him why 
he did not bring us to this mansion last night, in- 
stead of halting at the miserable dog-hole of Re- 
sequinha. * Ah, Sir," replied he, * the mules 
could travel no further." " Then you might have 
told us of this delightful place, and we would have 
walked hither had it been double the distance." 
How much more merrily we should have passed 



CALLED, MINERAS. 227 

the evening, thought I, on observing two fine 
guitars hung up in a closet that was accidentally 
opened. The mother, who now came in, gave 
us an invitation to stop, regretting that her hus- 
band, being confined by illness to his bed, was un- 
able to pay his respects to us in person. We ex- 
pressed our disappointment at not being able to 
avail ourselves of this invitation, and again re- 
lated how ill we had passed the night at Rese- 
quinha. " Yes," observed one of the daughters 
very facetiously, " men alone make very insipid 
society; you would have been much better here, 
would not you ?" Our soldier again came to say 
that the baggage-mule was out of sight, and that 
we should be in danger of losing our way. The 
mule, said I, may surely for once fall lame to ac- 
commodate us, or some lucky misfortune may oc- 
cur to give us a pretext for prolonging our stay. 
We were at length obliged to yield to the pressing 
remonstrances of our soldier, and took leave of the 
good lady and her amiable daughters, promising to 
visit them on our return. We. pursued our jour- 
ney with reluctance, over a dreary tract of country* 
passing at intervals through small woods, where 
we shot a few wood-peckers, here called carpin- 
teros, a name sufficiently characteristic of their 
peculiar habits. The incessant hacking which 
they make with their beaks may be heard at a con- 
siderable distance. No incident worth mention- 
ing occurred in this day's journey, which termi- 



228 



BANDEIRA DE COELHO. 



nated at Bandeira de Coelho, where we arrived at 
sun-set. A more dirty and slovenly place, in a 
finer situation, we never visited. It was with 
great difficulty that my negro-hoy procured us a 
pot of any sort to dress us a fowl and some beans 
for supper. The kitchen was a mere dirt-hole, 
blackened with soot and smoke ahove and all 
around, and covered with mud and filth helow : 
the cooking utensil was a pot placed on three 
stones and heated hy a fire of green wood. The 
owner was very assiduous in helping us, and 
heartily desired us to make free. He was reputed 
to he a man of considerable property, which he 
had accumulated hy selling corn for the troops of 
mules which frequently stop here, and are gene- 
rally hetter accommodated than his biped guests. 
We procured something in the form of a supper, 
and passed the night under the same sort of shed 
as that which sheltered our cattle, and on bedding 
very little superior in quality to theirs. 

The experience of this night completed the ca- 
talogue of inconveniences to which we had been 
exposed since the commencement of our journey. 
I would advise every traveller who pursues the 
same route, to provide himself with a hammock 
and blankets, a stock of tea, sugar, candles, liquors, 
soap, and salt, two kettles, and a drinking-horn, 
(for in few places will he meet with any of these 
articles), as well as an umbrella, which can by no 
means be dispensed with. This equipage, (to- 



ALTO DE VIRGINIA, 



229 



gether with proper instruments), is necessary for 
a person who travels to make observations on the 
country, and will require two baggage-mules to 
carry it. 

We set out next morning at six, without break- 
fast, not being able to procure either coffee or 
milk; and proceeding six miles, through a fine 
open country, arrived at a large village called 
Louza, containing full two thousand inhabitants, 
Jt is well built, but as I was informed, has much 
declined from its former consequence, which it 
owed principally to the rich mines in its vicinity* 
now almost exhausted. We procured a tolerable 
breakfast of coffee and eggs at a vend; and, while 
we partook of it, were much amused by the 
numbers of inhabitants, who crowded the door 
in eager curiosity to see us, asking a variety 
of questions of a political nature, and forming 
endless conjectures respecting the object of our 
journey, 

Leaving this village about eleven o'clock, we 
proceeded along a range of mountains composed 
of argillaceous schistus, and passed a hill covered 
with micaceous iron ore : in one part of it there 
was a break that showed marks of stratification, 
which appeared vertical, or it was probably a 
strong vein of ferruginous matter, which tra- 
versed the mountain. I was not a little surprised 
to find that the road, for above half a mile, was 
cpvered with rich oxide of iron. 

We passed a place called Alto de Virginia, 
where, as well as in the vicinity, to a considerable 



230 



LAVRAS.DE VIRGINIA. 



extent, there are gold-washings, which bear the 
general name of Lavras de Virginia. I examined 
the heaps of debris, but found in them nothing 
but rounded quartz and ferruginous matter. 
Journeying half a league further, we came to 
the gold-washings of S. Antonio do Ouro Branco, 
where hillocks of the same materials abounded ; 
and we soon afterwards entered the poor and 
almost deserted village of the same name, con- 
taining about five hundred souls. We had an in- 
terview with the commandant, but could obtain 
nothing in the way of refreshment; indeed the 
few people we saw were so needy, that far from 
being able to supply our wants, they seemed to 
crave all we had to satisfy their own, and eyed us 
as if they expected we had brought them some- 
thing. Glad to get away from this wretched 
place, we continued our journey through a suc- 
cession of fine vallies, and arrived about four 
o'clock at the foot of a tremendous mountain, 
overhung with clouds. The ascent was so steep 
that, judging it in vain to attempt to ride, I 
dismounted; our soldier, who was a lighter man 
than myself, exchanged mules with me, and up we 
went in a zig-zag direction for half an hour, when 
we found ourselves immersed in a thick cloud, 
which for some time hindered us from seeing our 
way. We were at length able to proceed, and in 
many parts had to mount up ledges nearly two 
feet perpendicular, which we performed without 
alighting, as our saddles were secured from slip- 
ping off behind by a strong strap passing round 



ALTO DO MORRO. 



231 



the mule's neck. It is considered very unsafe to 
dismount in these ascents, for the animals go much 
less steady when led than when ridden. At seven 
o'clock we reached the summit, where, though 
night was setting in, we found it necessary to rest 
half an hour, and then proceeded a league in the 
dark without our baggage-mule, which, being un- 
able to keep pace with us, had been left in charge 
of two men and the negro-boy. We were under 
little apprehension for the safety of our property, 
though, as we afterwards learnt, the poor animal 
was down above twenty times in the course of 
the ascent. About eight o'clock we reached Alto 
do Morro, our baggage arriving about an hour 
after. Here we halted for the night in one of the 
best inns we had hitherto seen, the hostess of 
which soon provided us with a comfortable sup- 
per, of which we partook very heartily, and 
passed an agreeable evening. The good order 
and propriety which reigned in this inn confirmed 
an observation we had often made, that of all 
houses on the road those under the direction Of 
females were managed with most ability, and cer- 
tainly afforded the best accommodations. I may 
add, that there prevailed in them that evident dis- 
position and wish to oblige which generally makes 
up for any deficiency, and by appealing to a 
stranger's liberality makes him satisfied with what- 
ever is set before him. 

The land, through which we this day passed, 
appeared much burnt up, being in general very 



232 



VISIT TO 



bare of vegetable soil, and having few trees to 
defend it against the heat of the sun. In the 
mountains we observed several slips or breaks, 
which presented abrupt and singular masses lying in 
all directions like confused heaps of architectural 
ruins, disclosing veins of soft talc, and some cas-^ 
calliOy poor in gold. The stratum was argillace- 
ous schistus, very ferruginous, and friable. At 
the bottom of these slips, which appeared to be 
caused by the disrupture of one part of the 
mountain from the other (probably through the 
infiltration of water), there were small streams, 
which in rainy weather swell into torrents, and 
burst through their channels with great velocity. 

The next day, it being our intention to reach 
Villa Rica before night, we set out at an early 
hour, notwithstanding the cold cloudy weather 
and the heavy dew which prevailed. We passed 
through a bare and uneven tract of country, pre- 
senting similar characteristics to those above de- 
scribed. Near a place called Capao, I rode down 
a hill covered with rich iron ore in such profusion, 
that tons might have been gathered from the surr- 
face. Proceeding a short distance farther, we 
arrived at a house, the owner of which, we af- 
terwards understood, possessed a topaz-mine in 
the neighbourhood. The mention of a mine of 
topazes excited my curiosity, as it gave me the 
idea of a vein worked under-ground, and contain- 
ing those substances in the matrix as originally 
formed. On expressing to the owner my desire 



A TOPAZ MINE. 



233 



to see the works, he kindly undertook to accom- 
pany me to the spot. After walking about half a 
mile up the mountain just mentioned, I was 
shown two breaks or slips, in which my guide in- 
formed me were the topaz-mines. We entered 
one of them, which was in extent little short of 
two acres; the argillaceous schistus, which form- 
ed the upper stratum, appeared in a variety of 
stages, the greater part migrating into micaceous 
schistus. In one part I observed two negroes 
poking in the little soft veins, which the slips 
disclosed, with a piece of rusty iron, probably 
part of an old hoop ; and on enquiring what they 
were about, I was informed they were the miners, 
searching for topazes. I took one of their instru- 
ments, and on using it as they did, found these 
veins to contain a very minute micaceous sub- 
stance approaching to earthy talc, also some 
quartz, and large crystals of specular iron ore. I 
had the good fortune to find two or three to- 
pazes, which, as they had only one pyramid each, 
and appeared fractured, I judged to be out of 
their original place. It had hitherto been my 
opinion, that all the topazes which I had seen at 
Eio de Janeiro, or elsewhere, and which were of 
similar form to these, had been broken from the 
matrix by the miners; I now, therefore, fully ex^ 
pected to meet with some having double pyra- 
mids, but, to my great disappointment, all that I 
found were entirely detached. From a great 
quantity (at least a cart-load) of inferior topazes, 



234 VILLA RICA, THE CAPITAL 

which were afterwards shown to me in the 
owner's house, (and any number of which I might 
have taken away), I could not select one with a 
double pyramid. They informed me that some- 
times, but very rarely, topazes had been found at- 
tached to quartz, but even in these instances 
the quartz was fractured and out of its original 
place*. The topazes which were shewn me, were 
very imperfect, and full of flaws. The negroes 
employed in these w r orks were superintended by 
two Creolians, who received what they found. 

After I had collected a variety of specimens, 
we returned to our mules, continued our journey 
over bleak and sterile mountains, through roads 
covered with dust, and arrived about three o'clock 
in sight of Villa Rica. Though the town stands 
on an eminence rather steep and lofty, the ap- 
proach to it is not noble or striking, neither is 
there any thing in a near view of it, which, to the 
eye of a traveller, corresponds with the grandeur 
of its name. The environs, unlike those of opu- 
lent towns in general, exhibited few signs of cul- 
tivation; not an acre of good pasture was any 
where to be seen, nor an inclosure of any kind. 
We arrived a little after four, and alighted at one 
of the first houses to the left, on entering the 
town ; it had been recommended to us as one of 

* They also informed me that green topazes were sometimes found, 
which I very much doubted. If any substance of that color, reserr- 
bling- topaz, did occur, it was most probably Euclase. Lt is now 
known that Euclase is found with topazes. 



OF MINAS GERAES. 235 

the best inns, but we found, that, in point of 
cleanliness and accommodation, report greatly 
overrated it. The owner, being a priest, en- 
trusted the entire management to a mulatto, who 
acted as if he was seldom under the eye of his 
master. Having ordered dinner, we walked into 
the town for about a mile ; the streets were very 
irregular, and so badly paved as to give us no 
favorable idea of the opulence of the inhabitants. 
As night was coming on, and we felt fatigued, we 
postponed delivering our letters until next day, 
and returned to our inn. Our dinner, which was 
served up in as slovenly a manner as we had ever 
witnessed, even in the poorest ranclio on the road, 
consisted of some stewed beef and a fowl. The 
bread was tolerable, but dear. Being little in- 
clined to sit up after our repast, we retired early 
to rest; our rooms, though destitute of almost 
every appropriate convenience, were better than 
those to which we had of late been accus- 
tomed. 

Notwithstanding the fatigue of the journey, 
which heartily disposed me to sleep, my mind was 
for some time occupied in reflecting on the place 
at which we had now arrived, and which had 
long been the theme of our wonder and conjec- 
ture. Villa Rica — the rich village! The capital 
of the province of Minas Geraes, and the seat of 
its government; a place which had for many years 
been reputed the richest in Brazil, as to it was 
brought all the gold found in the vast district 



236 VILLA RICA ; 

around. Impatient to see some vestiges of that 
splendor which its name implies, I slept but little, 
and rose at an early hour. We, with difficulty, 
obtained our breakfast, consisting of coffee and 
eggs, with bread and English butter, after which 
we dressed and went to deliver our letters. 

Our arrival being announced, we were directed 
to present ourselves at the audience-chambers, 
which form part of a large edifice, containing also 
the post-office and other public rooms for the 
transaction of Government business. We were 
introduced to the General of the Forces, and to 
Dr. Lucas Antonio Monteiro de Barras, J udge of 
the Supreme Court; the latter held the principal 
authority in the absence of the Viceroy, who was 
gone to Rio de Janeiro, another from Goyazes 
being expected shortly to succeed him. We were 
honored with a most handsome reception, and 
various houses were put in our choice, with a 
kind invitation to make use of any of them du- 
ring our stay, but we preferred taking lodgings in 
the centre of the town, within three minutes' walk 
of the Palace, in Rua Dereita, the very Bond 
Street of Villa Rica. 

After our interview with the Judge, we de- 
voted some hours to a perambulation of the 
town, and returned much fatigued to dine at our 
inn. In the evening I paid a visit to the vicar, 
who gave me a hearty welcome, and in the usual 
style of Portuguese compliment, told me his 
house was mine. The saying, had it been ve- 



ITS INHABITANTS. 



237 



rifled, would have put me in possession of one of 
the best mansions in Villa Rica. At tea the 
worthy pastor introduced me to several officers, 
among whom was the late governor of the Dia- 
mond district, who gave me much information 
concerning it, and shewed me an aqua-marina, 
which had been found in one of the washings. 
It was a perfect hexagonal prism, full seven 
inches in length, and three quarters of an inch 
in diameter, clear and free from flaws. After 
some hours of very agreeable conversation, the 
party broke up, and it being dark, I was con- 
ducted to my inn by a servant of the vicar's, with 
his lantern. At the corners of the streets, along 
which we passed, there were groups of the lower 
order of people offering their prayers ; in a niche 
above them was a figure of the Virgin, with ta- 
pers burning before it. A voice in a low solemn 
tone uttered the vespers, the responses were made 
by the multitude. I took off my hat as I passed,, 
knowing that such a token of reverence is always 
expected. 

The next day was occupied chiefly in removing 
our equipage to our new lodgings in Rua De- 
reita; to this service our soldiers were particu- 
larly attentive, and left us nothing to do which 
they could do for us. On the day following we 
were honored with visits from the judge, the 
general, the vicar, and many of the principal in- 
habitants, all of whom testified their respect for 
us in the most polite manner. Many of them af- 



238 VILLA RICA ; 

terwards sent me presents of fine sugar, coffee, 
sweetmeats, cheese, and some good bread. One 
gentleman, to give me a proof of the richness of 
the soil and salubrity of the climate, sent me a 
cabbage, full fourteen inches in diameter, when 
stripped of its outside leaves; a finer vegetable 
never was produced. 

When our leisure permitted, we took excur- 
sions to view the town and -its vicinity, sometimes 
on horseback and sometimes on foot, generally 
going and returning in a different direction. It 
is situated on the side of a large mountain, con- 
nected with others forming an immense chain, of 
which it is one of the highest. Most of the 
streets range, in steps, as it were, from the base 
to the summit, and are crossed by others which 
lead up the acclivity. It is most admirably sup- 
plied with water, which is conducted into almost 
every house in a most convenient and pleasant 
manner. In the streets are many fountains, 
which, though not to be compared with those of 
Italy in architectural taste, are well constructed. 
One cistern in particular contained water which 
tasted strongly of sulphate of iron; the natives 
consider it serviceable in the cure of cutaneous 
diseases, and frequently bathe in it. The town is 
divided into two parishes, and contains a popu- 
lation of about twenty thousand inhabitants, of 
whom there are more whites than blacks. The 
climate is delightful, and perhaps equal to that of 
Naples. Though the latitude of the place is only 



ITS CLIMATE. 



239 



20° south, yet owing to its elevated site, the tem- 
perature of the air is generally moderate. The 
thermometer never exceeds 82° in the shade and 
rarely helow 48°, but its usual range is from 64? to 
80° in summer, and from 48° to 70° in winter. 
The greatest heats prevail in January. Owing 
to its great elevation various changes from heat to 
cold prevail in the same day, and there are fre- 
quent showers of rain. Thunder-storms are com- 
mon, but by no means violent. The sun is some- 
times clouded by dews and mist so dense as not 
to subside until the forenoon is far advanced. 

The gardens here are laid out with great taste, 
and from the peculiarity of their conctruction 
present a curious spectacle. As there is scarcely 
a piece of level ground, even ten yards square, on 
the whole side of the mountain, the defect has 
been remedied by cutting spaces one above an- 
other at regular distances, and supporting them 
by low walls, the top of one being on a level with 
the base of that next above it. An easy flight of 
steps leads from one level to the other. These 
terraces seemed to me to be the very kingdom 
of Flora, for never did I before see such a profu- 
sion of delicate flowers. Here were also excellent 
vegetables of every kind, such as artichokes, as- 
paragus, spinach, cabbage, kidney-beans, and po- 
tatoes. There are many indigenous fruits which 
might be much improved by a better system of 
horticulture. The peach appears to be the only 
exotic fruit which has been hitherto introduced; 



240 villa rica; 

it florishes amazingly. I have frequently seen 
the branches of the trees so loaded as to require 
perpendicular support. 

The town is of considerable extent, but by no 
means so Well peopled as when the mines were 
rich. Few of the inhabitants have any employ- 
ment except the shopkeepers, who are indeed a 
numerous class. English woollens were by no 
means dear, superfine cloth being at 30s. to 35s. 
per yard ; coatings, &c. nearly as cheap as in Eng- 
land; common cotton prints at Is. 6d. to 2s. per 
yard ; hats, handkerchiefs, kerseymeres, and Man* 
Chester piece goods in great plenty. There 
seemed, indeed, to be a glut of English merchan- 
dise and produce of all sorts, except earthen- 
ware, hams, porter, and butter, which were dear 
on account of the risk of carriage. Common Fi- 
gueira wine was 3s. 6d. the bottle. The shops 
that sold the produce of the country were few in 
number and very indifferent. There were a great 
many tailors, shoe-makers, tin-workers, and ven- 
ders of hardware, some smiths, and no inconsi- 
derable number of saddlers. In a country where 
every one is a horseman, this trade must, one 
would imagine, take the lead of most others. 
The saddles that were shewn me here, were of 
a much superior make to those which I saw in 
Rio de Janeiro. I was surprised to find no 
workers in gold in a place so renowned for the 
production of that precious metal, but I was in- 
formed that the trade was prohibited by law, to 



ITS CLIMATE. 



241 



prevent the gold from being worked before it was 
permuted. 

The market of Villa Rica was but ill supplied, 
notwithstanding the fertility of the district around 
it. Pulse and vegetables for the table were 
scarce, even grass was an article in great demand *, 
and milk was as dear as it is in London. Poultry 
sold at from 3s. 6d. to 4s. 6d. per couple. Beef 
of a tolerable kind, but by no means good, might 
be had at l|d. per pound. Pork was very fine: 
mutton was utterly unknown. Tallow was ex- 
ceedingly dear, and candles were more than dou- 
ble the price at which they sell in this country. 

Though our arrival in the town excited some 
surprise, as we were the first of our nation who 
had visited it, yet the people did not regard us 
entirely as strangers, many of them having seen 
Englishmen in their frequent intercourse with 
Rio de Janeiro. My worthy companion had let- 
ters to some of the principal shopkeepers, which 
we took an early opportunity of delivering. When 
we spoke to them of the richness of the country, 
and of the quantity of gold with which it was 
reputed to abound, they seemed glad of the op- 
portunity of telling us, that they believed the 
gold was all sent to England, adding that their 
capital ought now to be termed Villa Pobre, in- 
stead of Villa Rica. Indeed we were surprised 
to observe the comparative poverty which pre- 

* Our mules required at least six penny-worth each per day, exclu- 
sive of their corn. 



242 VILLA RICA. 

vailed among them. Of above two thousand ha- 
bitations, which the town contained, a consider- 
able proportion was untenanted; and the rents 
of the rest were continually lowering. Houses 
were to be purchased at one half their real va- 
lue ; for instance, a house built a few years ago at 
one thousand pounds cost, would not now sell for 
more than five hundred pounds. 

The mountain on which the town stands, ap- 
peared to me in length from eight to nine miles, 
in every part narrow and almost insulated, being 
surrounded by deep ravines. In riding over it in 
various directions, I observed it to be composed 
of argillaceous schistus in almost every gradation, 
migrating from the compact blue slate into mi- 
caceous schistus. In some parts it lies in regular 
strata, in others it appears in confused masses. 
The slate is sometimes, but not very generally, 
used for paving, roofing, and other similar pur- 
poses. In some parts I noticed a few slender, 
confused, and irregular quartzose veins of little 
consequence, a large proportion of ferruginous 
accumulations and stalactitic aggregates, toge- 
ther with pyrites, and a considerable quantity of 
quartz pebbles of all sizes. That side on which 
the town is built presents many small hills, which 
form a number of gulleys in narrow ravines. 
Numerous streamlets flow down from the springs 
in the mountain in various channels, and in rainy 
weather swell into cascades ; they form a rivulet 
at its base called Rio do Carmo, which in its 



VILLA RICA. 



243 



course from hence is joined by many others, and 
changes its name first into that of Rio S. Jose, 
and then into Rio Doce. Of the latter I shall 
have occasion in the sequel to speak more at 
large. 



CHAP. XI. 

Origin and 'present State of Villa Rica — Account 

of the Mint L Visit to the City of Mariana.— 

Excursion to the F agendas of Barro and Castro, 
belonging to His Excellency the Conde de Lin- 
hares. 

THE history of an establishment, which, twenty 
years after its foundation, was reputed the richest 
place on the globe, was an object of considerable 
interest with me, and I made many enquiries re- 
specting it from some of the best informed meii 
on the spot. It appears that the first discovery 
of this once rich mountain was effected by the en- 
terprising spirit of the Paulistas, who, of all the 
colonists in Brazil, retained the largest share of 
that ardent and indefatigable zeal for discovery, 
which characterized the Lusitanians of former 
days. They penetrated from their capital into 
these regions, braving every hardship, and en- 



244 



ORIGIN OF 



countering every difficulty which a savage coun- 
try, infested by still more savage inhabitants, op- 
posed to them. They cut their way through 
impervious woods, carrying their provisions with 
them, and occasionally cultivating small patches 
of land to afford them food to retreat to, in case 
of necessity, as well as to keep up a communica- 
tion with their city S. Paulo. Every inch of 
ground was disputed by the barbarous Indians, 
here called Buticudas, who were constantly 
either attacking them openly or lying in ambush, 
and but too frequently succeeded in surprising 
some of them, or their negroes, whom they im- 
mediately sacrificed to their horrible appetite for 
human flesh. They believed the negroes to be the 
great monkeys of the wood. The bones of the un- 
fortunate sufferers were frequently found exposed, 
shocking testimonies of the barbarity of their 
murderers, whom the Paulistas, roused to revenge, 
invariably shot, wherever they met them. These 
examples of vengeance answered their desired 
end ; the Indians, terrified as well by the noise as 
by the fatal effect of fire-arms, fled with precipi- 
tation, believing that the white men commanded 
lightning and thunder. 

It does not appear that in exploring this terri- 
tory they received any assistance whatever from 
the Aborigines : they followed the course of rivers, 
occasionally finding gold, of which they skimmed 
the surface, and continued to proceed until they 
arrived at the mountain which is our present sub- 



VILLA RICA. 



245 



ject. Its riches arrested their course ; they imme- 
diately erected temporary houses and began thej$ 
operations. The principal men of the party that 
first settled here, were Antonio Dias, Bartholomo 
Rocinho, Antonio Ferreira (filho ) and Garcia 
Ruis. It appears that they took the most direct 
way to the place, for the roads they then opened 
are the same which are still used. The fame of 
their success soon reached the city of S. Paulo ; 
fresh adventurers arrived in great numbers, bring- 
ing with them all the negroes they had means to 
purchase. Other adventurers went from S. Paulo 
to Rio de J aneiro to procure more negroes, their 
own city being drained; and thus the news of the 
lately discovered gold mountain being made known 
in the Brazilian capital, men of all descriptions 
went in crowds to this land of promise by the way 
of S. Paulo, which was the only route then known. 
The first settlers might have prevented the ex- 
posure of their good fortune, had they been able 
to moderate their joy, and consented to act in 
concert; but as gold was in such great abundance, 
every individual appropriated a lot of ground, and 
thus became a capitalist. Each strove which 
should make the most of his treasure in the 
shortest time, and thus there was a continual de- 
mand for more negroes, more iron, &c. and, in 
the general eagerness to obtain them, the secret, 
which all were interested in keeping, was dis- 
closed. The Paulistas independent in spirit, and 
proud of their wealth, were desirous of giving 



246 



ORIGIN OF 



laws to the new-comers ; but the latter determin- 
ing to oppose this measure, formed themselves 
into a party under the guidance of Manuel Nunes 
Vianna, an adventurer of some consequence, who 
strenuously asserted their claim to equal rights 
and advantages. Disputes arose on both sides, 
and were at length aggravated into hostilities, 
which proved unfavorable to the Paulistas, the 
greater part of whom fled to a considerable sta- 
tion of their own, and there awaited reinforce- 
ments. Vianna and his followers, without loss of 
time, went in pursuit of their foes, whom they 
found on a plain near the site of St. J oao d'El Rey. 
The two parties met on the border of a river, and 
a sanguinary battle took place, which ended in the 
defeat of the Paulistas, who afterwards made the 
best terms they could. The slain were buried on 
the margin of the river, which, from that circum- 
stance, took the name of Rio das Mortes. 

The Paulistas, bent on revenge, but weakened 
by defeat, appealed to the sovereign, King Pedro, 
denouncing Vianna and his followers as rebels, 
who were attempting to take the district to them- 
selves, and set up an independent government. 
The King's ministers apprised of the state of 
affairs, and learning by report the immense riches 
of the country, immediately sent a chief, with a 
competent body of troops, to take the advantage 
of the strife between the two parties; which in a 
country tenable by a few men, on account of its 
numerous strong-holds, was a most fortunate cir- 



VILLA RICA. 



247 



cumstance. The name of this chief was Albu- 
querque ; a man of enterprise and perseverance, 
in all respects qualified for the service on which 
ho was sent. His appearance at first occasioned 
much confusion and discontent among bothparties ; 
and though he was not openly opposed, yet he 
was in continual alarm. The Paulistas now saw 
that the riches which they in conjunction with 
their rivals might have retained, were about to 
be seized by a third party, which would reduce 
them both to subordination. Disturbances pre- 
vailed for some time, but reinforcements conti- 
nually arriving from Government, tranquillity was 
at length perfectly established; and in the year 
1711, a regular town began to be formed; a go- 
. vernment-house, a mint, and a depot for arms 
were built. A code of laws was enacted for the 
regulation of the mines ; all gold-dust found was 
ordered to be delivered to officers appointed for 
that purpose ; a fifth in weight was taken for the 
King, and the remaining four parts were purified, 
melted into ingots at the expense of Government, 
then assayed, marked according to their value, 
and delivered to the owners, with a certificate to 
render them current. For the greater conveni- 
ence of trade, gold-dust was likewise permitted to 
circulate for small payments. Notwithstanding 
these strict regulations, a considerable quantity 
of the precious metal in its original state found 
its way to Rio de J aneiro, Bahia, and other ports, 
clandestinely, without paying the royal fifth, until 



248 



ORIGIN OF 



Government, apprised of this illicit traffic, esta- 
blished Registers in various parts for the examina- 
tion of all passengers, and stationed soldiers to 
patrole the roads. By these means, gold in im- 
mense quantities was seized and confiscated ; the 
persons on whom any was found, forfeited all their 
property, and, unless they had friends of great 
influence, were sent as convicts to Africa for life. 
The greatest disgrace was attached to the name 
of smuggler ; and such was the rigor of the law 
against offenders of this description, that every 
person quitting the district was obliged to take a 
certificate stating whither he was going, and 
what he carried with him. This regulation is still 
in force, and is rigorously observed. 

Villa Rica soon enjoyed a considerable trade 
with Rio de Janeiro; the returns were negroes, 
iron, woollens, salt, provisions of various kinds, 
and wine, all which at that time bore amazingly 
high profits. 

About the year 1713, when Dr. Bras da Silva was 
appointed governor, the quantity of gold produced 
was so considerable that the royal fifth amounted 
to above half a million sterling annually. The 
mountain became pierced like a honey-comb, as 
the miners worked every soft part they could find, 
and penetrated as far as they could, conveying 
the cascalho which they dug out to a conve- 
nient place for washing. In rainy weather the 
torrents of water running down the sides of the 
mountain, carried away much earthy matter con- 



VILLA RICA. 249 

taining delicate particles of gold,, which settled 
in the ground near its base. When the waters 
abated, this rich deposit gave employment to 
numbers of the poorer sort of people, who took 
it away and washed it at their convenience. 

Antonio Dias, the person already mentioned as 
one of the leaders of the Paulistas, who disco- 
vered the place, having become extremely rich, 
built a fine church, and dying soon after, be- 
queathed to it considerable funds. It bears his 
name. Five or six others were begun and soon 
finished, as neither wood nor stone was wanting; 
and the inhabitants were all ready to contribute a 
share of their property, and to employ their ne- 
groes in furtherance of these pious works. A 
law highly creditable to the wisdom of the Por- 
tuguese government was now enacted, to prohi- 
bit friars from entering the territories of the 
mines. What treasures were thus saved to the 
state, and what a number of persons were thus 
continued in useful labor, who would else have be- 
come burthensome to the community ! 

The town now underwent many improvements ; 
its streets were more regularly built, and some 
parts of the side of the mountain were levelled, to 
afford more convenient room for the construction 
of houses, and the laying out of gardens. Reser- 
voirs were formed, from which water was distri- 
buted by means of conduits to all parts, and 
public fountains were erected in the most con- 
venient and central situations. The mint and 



250 PRESENT STATE OF 

smelting-houses were enlarged,, and rendered more 
commodious for .the transaction of business. 
About this period the inhabitants amounted to 
twelve thousand or upwards; those who possessed 
mines, were either the first settlers or their de*- 
scendants, and as the best part of the district was 
occupied, the new adventurers who continued to 
arrive from time to time, were obliged to enter 
into the service of the existing owners until they 
had learned their methods of working, after 
which they generally went in search of fresh 
mines, proceeding along the water-courses and 
ravines, where they sometimes discovered new 
sources of weath. Between the years 1730 and 
1750, the mines were in the height of their pros- 
perity; the King's fifth, during some years of that 
period, is said to have amounted to at least a mil- 
lion sterling annually 

The mines which produced this immense 
wealth, at length became gradually less abun- 
dant; and, as the precious metal disappeared, 
numbers of the miners retired, some to the mo- 
ther-country, loaded with riches, which tempted 
fresh adventurers, and many to Rio de Janeiro 
and other sea-ports, where they employed their 
large capitals in commerce. 

Villa Rica, at the present day, scarcely retains 
a shadow of its former splendor. Its inhabitants, 
with the exception of the shopkeepers, are void of 
employment ; they totally neglect the fine coun- 
try around them, which, by proper cultivation, 



VILLA RICA. 



251 



would amply compensate for the loss of the 
wealth which their ancestors drew from its bo- 
som. Their education, their habits, their here- 
ditary prejudices, alike unfit them for active life; 
perpetually indulging in visionary prospects of 
sudden wealth, they fancy themselves exempted 
from that universal law of nature which ordains 
that man shall live by the sweat of his brow. Ii\ 
contemplating the fortunes accumulated by their 
predecessors, they overlook the industry and per- 
severance which obtained them, and entirely lose 
sight of the change of circumstances which ren- 
ders those qualities now doubly necessary. The 
successors of men who rise to opulence from 
small beginnings, seldom follow the example set 
before them, even when trained to it; how then 
should a Creolian, reared in idleness and igno- 
rance, feel any thing of the benefits of industry! 
His negroes constitute his principal property, and 
them he manages so ill, that the profits of their 
labor hardly defray the expenses of their main- 
tenance : in the regular course of nature they be- 
come old and unable to work, yet he continues in 
the same listless and slothful way, or sinks into a 
state of absolute inactivity, not knowing what to 
do from morning to night. This deplorable de- 
generacy is almost the universal characteristic of 
the descendants of the original settlers; every 
trade is occupied either by mulattoes or negroes, 
both of which classes seem superior in intellect 



252 PRESENT STATE OF 

to their masters, because they make a better use 
of it. 

During my stay here, I paid frequent visits to 
the mint, and was liberally permitted by the offi- 
cers to see every process performed there. In 
the smelting-house were eight or ten small blast- 
furnaces, in form much resembling blacksmiths' 
hearths. The fuel used is charcoal. When a 
quantity of gold-dust is brought, (no matter whe- 
ther large or small), say, for instance, six ounces, it 
is first permuted, and a fifth taken for the Prince ; 
the rest is put in a Hessian crucible, about three 
inches in diameter, which is immediately placed 
in the furnace. A quantity of corrosive sublimate 
is then put to it, which, on being heated, exhales 
very strong fumes ; the scoriae, if any be formed, 
are taken off with a pair of tongs, and more 
sublimate is added if required. Ebullition some- 
times occurs, in which case the crucible is co- 
vered with a bit of common tile. As soon as the 
mercury is evaporated, the gold is poured into an 
ingot-mould, previously rubbed with animal fat; 
it is afterwards turned out into a tub of water. 
The ingot generally, in some part or other, has 
mercury attached to it, (which it seizes imme- 
diately), and the part of the gold thus affected 
assumes the appearance of lead*. To remove this, 

* In England I once knew an instance in which an ingot with mer- 
cury adhering to it, in the possession of a person ignorant of metal- 
lurgy, was sold at a reduced price, as if the discolored part had really 
been lead ; the purchaser also supposing that to be the case. 



VILLA RICA. 



253 



they hold it in a strong fire with a pair of tongs 
until the mercury is evaporated. It is afterwards 
sent to the assay-master, who first compares it on 
the touchstone with gold bars of different alloys, 
ascertained and marked, and then assays it. The 
two methods being found to agree, the assay- 
master stamps upon the ingot its degree of fine- 
ness, (called toque ), also its weight, its number, 
the name of the place, and the year. It is then 
registered in a book kept for that purpose, and a 
copy of the entry is made out on a slip of printed 
paper, in which the ingot is wrapped, and deli- 
vered to the owner for circulation. The opera- 
tion of melting a given quantity seldom occupies 
more than ten minutes or a quarter of an hour; 
that of cupelling about double the time : but I 
have seen men deliver their gold-dust, and receive 
it in a circulating form in less than an hour ; so 
that little delay takes place, and, as there are six 
furnaces, the bringers of gold have seldom to wait 
for their turn. The pale color and low quality 
of various bars of gold are always imputed to the 
silver, platina, or other metal contained in them. 
I have seen some as low as sixteen carats, and 
others as fine as 23|- carats, which is within half a 
carat of what is denominated pure gold. Twenty- 
two is the standard, and gold exceeding that re- 
ceives a premium according to its fineness. 

Considerable quantities of arsenical pyrites, said 
to be cobalt, were brought to me: I examined 
some specimens with the blow-pipe, but found no 



254 



PRESENT STATE OF 



vestige of that metal, as the substance in no stage 
imparted a blue color to borax or glass. Iron 
pyrites is found about three miles from the town, 
where there is a very strong vein of it in quartz. 
Antimony was brought to me from some distance* 
and also a few bits of copper much oxidated* 
which were said to have been found in the washings 
at a place called Caldeiroens, but this I had great 
reason to doubt. Not a few impositions respect- 
ing the discovery of copper were attempted upon 
me. One man brought a rounded piece of jasper* 
about an ounce in weight* and with it half an 
ounce of copper, of the form and about the size 
of a duck-shot, which he told me had been pro* 
duced by a smelting stone similar to the jasper then 
before me. I with much difficulty persuaded him 
that the person who had performed the operation 
for him had dropped a copper coin into the cruci* 
ble. I was astonished to find that many persons* 
even gentlemen of some consequence, had a no- 
tion that almost every red-colored stone in the 
pavement of the streets was copper. One fellow 
had circulated a report that he possessed several 
pieces rich in that metal; but, on being sent for* 
and questioned closely, he stated that he had lost 
them in removing to another house. It is not 
surprising that tales of this kind should gain easy 
credit among persons stimulated by avarice and 
blinded by ignorance, and that the artful men 
who invent and propagate them, should be tempt- 
ed by success to repeat their impositions, and 



VILLA RICA. 255 

corrupt others by their example. The rich iron 
ores with which the district abounds, and of 
which I saw many specimens, might furnish em- 
ployment much more profitable than washing for 
gold, or following other idle and chimerical spe- 
culations. 

During the first few days of my residence here, 
my soldiers procured me a quantity of the finest 
porcelain clay I have ever seen ; that used in the 
manufactory at Sevres, near Paris, is inferior to 
it. This clay is found at the foot of a mountain 
of argillaceous schistus, called S. Antonio, near 
Congonhas do Campo, in a vein accompanied with 
quartz and specular iron ore. 

A week after my arrival here, I was invited to 
go to a pottery about three miles distant. Cross- 
ing a bridge over the Rio do Carmo, at the foot 
of the town of Villa Rica, we ascended another 
steep mountain, on the summit of which I found 
iron ore in great quantities. Though not very 
rich, I have no doubt it would produce 25 per 
cent, of metal. The want of wood, which is here 
complained of as an objection to working it, might 
be remedied by planting ; for this summit is a fine 
plain, which proper cultivation would render highly 
productive. At present, though so near the town, 
it lies totally neglected, without a single inclosure 
upon it. The pottery, at which we soon arrived, 
has been but recently established. The clay is 
used in its native state, without any admixture, 
and is cleared of its coarse particles by washing. 



256 



PRESENT STATE OF 



After the water has been let off and evaporated so 
as to leave it of a sufficient consistency, it is put 
on the wheel and formed into plates, mugs, jars, 
&c. which are bulky and heavy, but by no means 
strong. They are rendered less fragile by being 
covered with an excellent thick glazing. The fur- 
naces have no chimneys, but consist merely of a 
low arch in which are several vent holes. The 
glazing furnace is reverberatory, but it is so ill 
constructed as to destroy much fuel and produce 
little heat. Throughout the whole district there 
is good coarse clay, for bricks, tiles, &c. 

I was here invited to taste some wine, made 
from grapes grown on the spot, which was excel- 
lent. A more happy situation than this vicinity 
affords for the growth of fruits of every kind can 
scarcely be imagined. The pear, the olive, and 
the mulberry would thrive here equally well with 
the grape, if proper pains were taken with them. 
A skilful agriculturist would with great ease, I 
am certain, bring it into such a state of improve- 
ment, as to serve the double purpose of a corn 
and dairy farm; excellent wheat might be grown, 
and a certain quantity of the land kept under arti- 
ficial grasses for cutting. A fine stream of water 
runs through the whole, with a sufficient fall to 
turn mills. 

The principles of husbandry seem as little un- 
derstood here as in any part of the territory through 
which we had hitherto travelled. Perhaps there 
is no country on the globe where the vicissitudes 



VILLA RICA. 



257 



of plenty and scarcity do not prevail, and where 
hnman experience has not shewn the necessity of 
laying by a store in time of abundance, as a pro- 
vision for a season of famine ; but here this salu- 
tary practice is almost wholly disregarded. The 
cattle are turned out on the uninclosed tracts*, 
and left to subsist on whatever they can find. In 
the summer months, when the grass throughout 
the wide extent is burnt up, they flock to the mar- 
gins of the rivulets as their last resource, which 
soon fails. Numbers of them die of famine, and 
those that survive the season are so exhausted 
and weakened, that they seldom thoroughly re- 
cover. 

A small mount in the vicinity of this pottery pre- 
sented much ferruginous matter, and a heavy sub- 
stance that appeared to me barytes in a botryoidal 
form, a specimen of which I took with me. Since 
my return to England it has been proved, by 
analysis, to be Wavellite, without fluoric acid. 

During my stay at Yilla Rica, I rode to the 
city of Mariana, distant eight miles, by a tremen- 
dous and almost impassable road, along a ridge of 
mountains; and afterwards went thither by the ge- 
neral road which passes between two high hills, and 
for some distance along the river-side, all the way 
on the descent. The margins of the Rio do Car- 



* The finest parts of these tracts, in the best season, arc by no 
means so rich in grass as an English meadow. 



258 



BARRO AND CASTRO. 



mo, which runs through the town, have been 
washed the whole way from Villa Rica : parties 
from which place held possession of this settle- 
ment as early as the year 1710, claiming it on ac- 
count of the gold brought down from thence by 
the current of the river. It was made a bishop's 
see about the year 1715, and was called Cidade 
de Mariana, in honor of the then reigning Queen 
of Portugal, the present Prince Regent's grand- 
mother. It is a small, neat, and well-built town, 
containing from six to seven thousand inhabitants. 
Here is a college for the education of young men 
destined for the church. The bishop is a prelate 
of exemplary character, and is beloved by all who 
know him. The place has very little trade, and 
depends chiefly on the mines and farms in its vi- 
cinity. Many miners reside here whose works are 
several leagues distant, some of them have also 
washings extending to the village of Camargo, si- 
tuated beyond a large plain which stretches west- 
ward from the confines of the city. 

Having resided in Villa Rica nearly a fortnight, 
I expressed a desire to visit two estates, forty 
miles distant, known by the names of Barro and 
Castro, both belonging to the Conde de Linhares. 
Between the years 1730 and 1740 these estates 
produced much gold, and were then in the posses- 
sion of Senhor Mathias Barboza, a settler of great 
respectability, who took up these lands and 
drove the Aborigines from them. He becoming 



RIO DO CARMO. 



259 



very rich, sent his only daughter to Portugal to 
be educated, where she remained, and after his 
death inherited his whole property. She was mar- 
ried in Lisbon to a gentleman of the family of 
Sousa, and from them are descended the two no- 
blemen of that name, who now hold high official 
situations under the Prince Regent. His Excel- 
lency the Conde's steward furnished me and my 
worthy friend with mules, and Dr. Lucas, the 
Judge, obligingly ordered every necessary to be 
provided for our journey. We rode through Ma- 
riana, and arrived at Alto do Chapada, a village, 
three miles distant from it, situated on an eleva- 
tion in the midst of a fine plain. We soon after- 
wards reached a very high and confined situation, 
between two perpendicular mountains, from whence 
we had a bird's eye view of the village of S. Se- 
bastian. From this steep we descended, with 
great difficulty, on foot, to the Rio do Carmo 
at its base, over which is a very high-arched and 
picturesque bridge. Passing this ravine we pro- 
ceeded a full league by the river side, through a 
rich country abounding in fine sloping hills and 
fertile plains, watered by numerous streams, 
which flow into the river in various directions, and 
all of which bear vestiges of having been formerly 
washed for gold. The road-side exhibited similar 
remains, and seemed to have been at some period 
connected with the river, which, in this part, is 
as large as the Thames at Windsor. We passed 
through San Giatanha, a straggling, thinly peo- 



260 



ALTOS DE S. MIGUEL. 



pled village, and proceeding about three miles 
farther, arrived at an indifferent house, called 
Lavras Velhas, where we halted for the night, 
having performed half our journey. The owner 
of this place found it difficult, with thirty or forty 
negroes, to maintain himself decently, though the 
land was susceptible of every species of culture, 
and needed only the hand of industry to render it 
productive. Every thing about the establishment 
exhibited a pitiful spectacle of neglect, indiffer- 
ence, and sloth. It is but justice to add, that he 
treated . us with the greatest civility, and amply 
supplied our necessities. 

Leaving Lavras Velhas at eight next morning ■ 
we passed Morro dos Arreaes, the country present- 
ing still finer valleys and excellent timber, but to- 
tally destitute of cattle. Ascending a high hill, we 
were immerged for about an hour in a cloud, and 
exposed to some small rain, but not sufficient to 
penetrate our coats. This was the only rain we 
experienced on the road by day. In the night the 
rain sometimes fell plentifully. We observed some 
exceedingly large worms, stretched motionless on 
the road, which our guide told us were sure signs 
of wet weather. From this height we saw the 
Rio Gualacha, which, with another river, joins 
the Rio do Carmo about ten leagues below, and 
forms the Rio San Jose. Proceeding in that di- 
rection through a fine country, we reached Altos 
de St. Miguel, where the river last mentioned is 
of considerable width, but not deep. Its waters 



FAZENDA DO BARRO. 



261 



are extremely turbid, on account of the mud 
brought from the gold-washings along the banks, 
from its source to this place. These heights com- 
mand a fine view of three windings of the river ; 
at their base there are vestiges of one of the oldest 
and most extensive gold-washings, which yielded 
much treasure to its discoverer and proprietor, 
Senhor Mathias Barboza. The country is well 
wooded, but rather thinly peopled; I expressed 
some surprise at observing no good dwelling- 
houses in a district which formerly produced so 
much wealth, and was informed that the first miners, 
eager to take the cream of the gold to as large an 
extent as they could, seldom remained long on 
the same spot, and contented themselves with 
building sheds, or ranchos, to serve for their tem- 
porary residence. 

Descending this mountain, we entered upon 
the estate of His Excellency, called Fazenda do 
Barro, and were shewn the house at a distance of 
nearly a league, on a pleasing eminence, near the 
river-side. On arriving, an excellent dinner was 
provided for us, of which, having been eight 
hours on our mules, we partook very heartily. 

The house, and indeed the whole establishment, 
were strikingly superior in point of convenience, 
to the miserable places we had lately passed. Hav- 
ing dined, we refreshed ourselves with a walk in 
the garden, where the coffee-trees in full blossom 
showed, at a distance, as if their branches were load- 
ed with snow. This spot afforded a view of a most 



262 



FA2ENDA DO BARRO. 



enchanting country, diversified with gentle emi- 
nences and large valleys well clothed with timher. 
From the farther margin of the river, which flows at 
one hundred yards' distance in front of the house, 
rises a fine hill, well calculated for the culture of 
every species of produce, and connected with 
others of equal fertility. 

On the following day I was chiefly occupied in 
visiting every part of the establishment. The 
distil-house, sugar-engine, and corn-mill, were 
very much out of repair ; the two latter were 
worked by horizontal water-wheels of great power. 
The buildings of the f agenda form a square, the 
southern side being occupied by the house, and 
the three others consisting of dwellings for the 
negroes, storehouses, carpenters' and blacksmiths' 
shops, and other offices equally useful. 

Having requested to see the cattle, I was shown 
seven fine well proportioned cows; their calves 
were old, and they being unaccustomed to be milk- 
ed regularly, gave very little. I signified to the peo- 
ple my wish to instruct them in the way of mak- 
ing butter after the English mode ; and the car- 
penter hearing my description of a churn, readily 
assured me that he could make one, and set about 
it forthwith in the following manner. He pro- 
cured a trunk of a tree of the length and girth 
required ; sawed it lengthwise in two equal parts, 
which, (after hollowing them sufficiently, and pre- 
paring a bottom), he joined with two iron hoops 
so tightly as to hold water. The churn-staff and 



GOLD-WASHING. 



263 



top were soon finished : but now an unexpected dif- 
ficulty occurred; here was no place free from dust 
and dirt to serve for a dairy, nor any pan fit to 
hold the milk. All the cooking-pots that could 
be spared were cleaned for this purpose, but they 
were quite of the wrong make, being wide at the 
bottom and narrow at the brim. They were, how- 
ever, laid by along with the churn, to be used the 
first time the cows were milked. The good lady 
of the house assisted in our preparations, and 
seemed much interested in them. 

In the afternoon I rode out to see the gold- 
washings. On the way thither I observed a man 
training a horse, with a cord attached to the bri- 
dle in one hand, and a whip in the other. Two 
pieces of leather, in the form of breechings, were 
sewed to two iron rings ; one part was put over 
the back of the animal, the other part slipped 
down as a breeching; the part on the back was 
to prevent its slipping lower. To these rings 
were tied cords from the horse's fore-feet, capable 
of being shortened or lengthened at pleasure. 
The horse being put in motion, took very short 
fore-steps, somewhat like those of the chargers in 
equestrian performances. Horses thus trained 
are here called pacers, and are in great request 
among persons of distinction of both sexes, their 
gait being very easy and graceful. 

On arriving at the washings, I saw a great ex- 
tent of ground already worked, and immense 



264 



GOLD-WASHING. 



heaps of quartzose stones. On the margin of the 
river where they were then working, I found 
them cutting away the bank,, to the depth of at 
least ten feet, to get at the cascalho incumbent on 
the rock. The substance they had to cut through 
was clay, so strong that, though falls of water 
were let upon it, and negroes were constantly 
working it with hoes of various kinds, it was with 
difficulty to be removed. This was not the only 
impediment, for, by the constant precipitation of 
mud, the cascalho was five feet below the bed of 
the river ; hence, when they had sunk their pits, 
they had to use means for drawing the water 
from them. The hydraulic machines employed 
for this purpose are constructed as follows: A 
trough or spout, made of four stout planks, form- 
ing a trunk, about six inches square, is placed in 
an inclined position, with its lower end in the pit, 
where a roller is properly secured to a pile driven 
in the ground : an iron chain, with peculiar links, 
on every one of which is fixed a piece of wood, 
nearly answering the interior dimensions of the 
spout, is passed through it, then under the roller, 
and over the outside, up to the axis of a water- 
wheel, which, being put in motion, causes the 
discharge of a column water equal to the cavity. 
These machines are calculated to raise a great 
deal of water, but they are liable to be thrown out 
of repair. In many cases hand-pumps would 
serve the purpose better, being made at little 



GOLD-WASHING. 265 

trouble or expense, easily repaired, and always 
ready at an hour's notice. They are here utterly 
unknown. 

In the operation of getting gold, the heavy 
work is assigned to the male negroes, and the 
lighter labor to the females. The cascalho, dug 
from these pits by the former, is carried away 
by the latter in gamellas, or bowls, to be washed. 
When a sufficient quantity has been procured, 
the men proceed to that process, which they per- 
form much in the way already described in treat- 
ing of S. Paulo. I perceived, however, that here 
they did not, in the first instance, attempt to 
separate the gold from the black oxide of iron, 
but emptied their gamellas into a larger vessel, 
by rinsing them in the water which it contained. 
The substance deposited in this vessel was deli- 
vered out, in small portions of about a pound 
each, to the most skilful washers, as the operation 
of washing, or, as it was termed, purifying it, 
required great niceness and dexterity. Some of the 
grains of gold were so fine as to float on the sur- 
face, and of course were liable to be washed away 
in these repeated changes of water ; to prevent 
which the negroes bruised a few handfuls of herbs 
on a stone, and mixed the juice in small propor- 
tions with the water in their gamellas. Whether 
this liquid did in reality tend to precipitate the 
gold, I could not positively ascertain, but the ne- 
groes certainly used it with the greatest con- 
fidence. 



266 



CANOE-WASHING. 



There is another mode of separating the gold 
from the cascalho called canoe-washing, which is 
extremely interesting. The canoes are made in 
the following manner: — Two ten or twelve-inch 
planks, ahout twelve or fifteen feet in length, are 
laid on the ground, forming an inclined plane, 
sloping about one inch in twelve: two other 
planks of similar dimensions are fixed in the same 
direction at the lower end, forming a second in- 
clined plane, with a fall of six inches from the 
former. On their sides are boards placed edge- 
wise, and staked down to the ground so as to 
form long shallow troughs, the bottoms of which 
are covered with hides tanned with the hair on, 
having the hairy side outwards, or, in defect of 
these, with rough baize. Down these troughs is 
conveyed the water containing the oxide of iron 
and the lighter particles of gold; the latter sub- 
stance precipitating in its course is entangled by 
the hair. Every half hour the hides are taken 
up, and carried to a tank near at hand* formed of 
four walls, say five feet long, four broad, and four 
deep, and containing about two feet depth of 
water. The hides are stretched over this tank 
and well beaten, then dipped and beaten repeat- 
edly, until all the gold is disentangled, after which 
they are carried back and replaced in the troughs. 
The tanks are locked up at nights, and well se- 
cured. The sediment taken from them being 
liglit, is easily washed away by the hand in the 
manner before described, leaving only the black 



SUBLIMATION. 



267 



" oxide of iron, called esmeril, and the gold, which 
is so fine that mercury is used to separate it. The 
process, as I saw it performed, was as follows: 
About two pounds weight of oxide of iron, very 
rich in fine grains of gold, was put into a clean 
bowl ; a quantity of mercury, about two ounces, 
was added to it ; the mass of oxide, which was 
very damp, was worked by the hand for about 
twenty minutes, when the mercury appeared to 
have separated the esmeril, and to have taken up 
all the gold, assuming a soft doughy mass, that re- 
tained any form into which it was squeezed. The 
grains of gold, however, remained, not amalga- 
mated with, but merely enveloped in the mer- 
cury. The mass was put into a folded handker- 
chief, and an ounce or more of mercury was 
wrung or squeezed from it. The rest was put 
into a small brass dish, covered with a few green 
leaves, and then placed over a charcoal fire, where 
it was stirred with an iron rod to prevent the 
gold from adhering to the sides of the dish. The 
leaves were occasionally changed as they became 
parched by the heat. When taken off, they ex- 
hibited, in some parts, small globules of mercury, 
and in others white oxide ; on washing them with 
water, nearly half an ounce of the former sub- 
stance was obtained from them*. I ever ob- 
served that the gold, after this operation, was 

* This species of sublimation on a small scale interested me greatly. 
Could it proceed from any glimmering of science in the minds of the 
negroes, or was it merely an accidental discovery? 



268 



FAZENDA DO BARRO. 



changed in color from an agreeable soft yellow to 
a dirty brown, and presented a very different ap- 
pearance from that which was not subjected to 
mercury. 

By way of suggesting an improvement, I made 
some drawings and models of earthen vessels for 
evaporating, and afterwards condensing the mer- 
cury ; but the quantity of gold in the hands of in- 
dividuals requiring this mode of separation is so 
inconsiderable, that it w r ould scarcely be worth 
their while to alter the process now practised. 

I rode over various parts of the estate, and 
more particularly along both banks of the river, 
which, as well as the bed, appeared to have been 
much washed. The bends, or parts where eddies 
were formed, were the places noted as being rich 
in gold. Wherever the margin formed a flat, or 
level, the cascalho continued under the surface to 
some distance, appearing like a continuation of 
the bed of the river, which, in all probability, it 
w r as, as the river is known to have been much 
wider formerly. The parts that were then work- 
ing, and others that had yet to be worked, bore a 
very unpromising appearance. 

An opportunity was soon afforded me of carry- 
ing into execution the proposed dairy experi- 
ment. Having obtained about six quarts of milk, 
"(which, on account of the scarcity of grass, was 
very poor), I put it into the culinary vessels that 
had been set apart for it ; but such was the state 
of the place in which they were deposited, that 



DAIRY. 



269 



that though I placed banana leaves over them, 
the surface next morning was covered with dust. 
I took off the cream in the best manner I could, 
but not being able to find a cellar or cold place 
for it to stand in, I was obliged to leave it in the 
same room with the milk, where it was hardly 
secure against the pigs. On each of the two fol- 
lowing mornings, I obtained about two gallons of 
milk, which, being added to the other, was in due 
time churned; and, notwithstanding the disad- 
vantages of poor milk, improper utensils, and bad 
keeping, a tolerably fair proportion of good butter 
was obtained. The people seemed highly satis- 
fied with the success of the process ; but I had 
strong doubts that they would not pursue it after 
my departure, as they must naturally dislike the 
trouble and care which it required. Such was 
the force of their habitual and long-cherished pre- 
judices, that I have no hesitation in saying they 
would take ten times more pains to procure 
forty shillings-worth of gold, at an expense of 
thirty shillings, than they would to obtain forty- 
shillings worth of butter, though it were only to 
cost them five. 

It may be expected that I should assign some 
reasons for entering so frequently into detail upon 
one of the simplest branches of rural economy. 
I have to observe, then, that ere I left Rio de 
Janeiro to undertake this journey, I was informed 
that the cheese generally consumed in that capi- 
tal, and regarded there as a luxury, was the pro- 



270 



FAZENDA DO BARRO. 



duce of the district to which I was going. Its 
taste was sometimes so extremely rancid and dis- 
agreeable, as to be utterly unwholesome, and 
from this circumstance I judged that there must 
be great mismanagement in the preparation of it. 
All the farms which I had occasion to visit on my 
journey to Villa Rica, and from thence to this 
place, fully confirmed my opinion; for, miserable 
as was the condition of every department be- 
longing to them, that of the dairy was still worse. 
In the few places where they pretended to pre- 
pare milk for cheese, not only were the various 
utensils in an extremely filthy condition, but the 
rennet was so putrid as to be in the last degree 
sickening. I endeavoured to make the people 
sensible of the advantages of an improved mode 
of management, and wherever I had an oppor- 
tunity, gave them information how to proceed; 
but as oral or written instructions were little cal- 
culated to make a durable impression, I deter- 
mined, when leisure and convenience should con- 
cur, to enforce them by example. The first and 
only opportunity of this kind presented itself at 
the Fazenda do Barro; and I was the more in- 
duced to avail myself of it, from considering that 
the precedent which I wished to give to the 
farmers of the district, would have greater influ- 
ence by being sanctioned by the approval of His 
Excellency the Conde de Linhares. The result, 
as I have just observed, was not very flattering to 
my hopes ; a solitary experiment can do little to- 



FAZENDA DE CASTRO. 271 

wards reforming a general evil of long continu- 
ance; and there is no probability that this or any- 
other branch of the farming system of the country 
will be improved, until the great and the opulent 
zealously unite for the accomplishment of an ob- 
ject so highly important. 

In our excursions through various parts of the 
estate, we observed on the exterior of many of 
the trees a great variety of crimson lichens, which, 
on being steeped in water, imparted a very strong 
tinge of that color. Here were excellent barks 
for tanning, particularly that of a tree called 
Canafistula, which does not redden or color the 
hide. We found many beautiful varieties of the 
jacaranda, or rosewood. 

Having resided at Barro some days, we set out 
for the Fazenda de Castro, distant about seven 
miles, where we arrived, after a pleasant ride over 
a mountainous and finely-wooded district, con- 
taining large tracts of rich virgin land,, watered 
by many excellent streams. This noble mansion 
was erected by the first possessor of the district, 
Senhor Mathias Barboza. It is very spacious and 
airy, having a gallery in front forty-eight yards 
long, to which open fourteen folding-doors, or 
windows, extending nearly from the top to the 
bottom of the rooms. It is situated near the con- 
fluence of the Ribeiro do Carmo and the Rio 
Gualacha, which form the San Jose, a river as 
large as the Thames at Battersea. 

We did not rest above an hour at this fazenda, 



272 S. JOSE DA BARK A LONG A. 

it being our intention to visit tlie aldea or village 
of S. J ose da Barra Longa, situated on the con- 
lines of the territory inhabited by the Buticudos 
Indians. Crossing the river by a fine wooden 
bridge, built about fifty years ago, but still in 
tolerable repair, we proceeded along the bank, 
which was embellished with several gardens, and 
presented more frequent appearances of cultiva- 
tion than we had of late been accustomed to view. 
The climate is much hotter than at Villa Rica, on 
account of the lowness of the situation; and we 
were informed that fruits of every kind, parti- 
cularly the pine, grew in this soil to great per- 
fection in size and fineness of flavor. The truth 
of these accounts we could not ascertain, as this 
was not the fruit season. 

After travelling about four miles, we arrived at 
the village. It being Sunday, numbers of people 
had come from various parts in the neighbourhood 
to attend divine service, and, after it was over, 
flocked in crowds to the place where we alighted. 
It appeared as if the whole population of the 
village, men, women, and children, were possessed 
with the same spirit of curiosity, so great was 
their eagerness to get a sight of us. We dined 
in a mixed company of ladies and gentlemen, at 
the house of the worthy vicar, who kept a very 
hospitable table, and paid us the most flattering 
attention. A military officer and a judge, who 
were of the party, entered into conversation with 
us; and it was difficult to decide who were the 



ABORIGINES. 273 

most inquisitive, they, respecting the motives 
and objects of our journey, or we, respecting the 
state of the country, the Aborigines, &c. 

We learnt that the village was founded about 
twenty-three years ago by a number of Portu- 
guese, who were tempted to settle, in a spot thus 
exposed to the depredations of the Buticudos, 
by the gold with which it abounded. At the pre- 
sent day, I was informed that it contains about 
four hundred inhabitants, and that the vicinity is 
well peopled, so that a sufficient force is always 
at hand to repel the savages ; who, no longer dar- 
ing to attack openly, now have often recourse to 
stratagem. When they have marked out a house, 
and ascertained its strength, they set fire to it by 
shooting arrows with fire-brands into the roof, and 
fall on the unfortunate inhabitants as they are at- 
tempting to escape. These savages, accustomed 
to live in the woods, and well practised in all the 
arts requisite for catching the wild animals on 
which they subsist, have a thousand stratagems 
for way-laying the settlers. Sometimes they ren- 
der themselves invisible by tying branches and 
young trees about them, and fix their bows im- 
perceptibly, so that, when a poor negro or white 
happens to pass near them, they seldom miss their 
aim. At other times they rub themselves with 
ashes and lie on the ground, or make pit-falls, in 
which they place pointed stakes, and cover them 
with twigs and leaves. They have a great dread 
of fire-arms, and betake themselves to flight when- 



274 



THE PRINCE'S MEASURES 



ever they hear them: but these weapons are by no 
means so general among the settlers as they ought 
to be, and the few they have are of very indif- 
ferent make, and frequently altogether useless. 
It sometimes, though rarely, happens, that the 
soldiers surprise the aborigines, in which case no 
combat takes place ; the latter run away as speedi- 
ly as possible ; and their pursuers, taking ven- 
geance for injuries sustained, seldom give quarter. 
Those whom they make prisoners they are obliged 
to tie hand and foot, and carry on a pole to a place 
of security : if any one of them be loosed but for 
a moment, he bursts away, and flees into the woods 
like a tiger, leaving his pursuers behind. They 
are untameable, either by stripes or kindness; 
and, if they find no means of escaping from con- 
finement, they commonly refuse sustenance, and 
die of hunger. 

The injuries occasionally done to settlers by 
these savages have excited the attention of Go- 
vernment, who have passed a decisive law against 
them. A proclamation has been issued by the 
Prince Regent, in which they are invited to live 
in villages, and become Christians, under a pro- 
mise that, if they come to terms of peace and 
amity with the Portuguese, their rights shall be 
acknowledged, and they shall enjoy, in common 
with other subjects, the protection of the state; 
but, if they persist in their barbarous and inhuman 
practices, the soldiers of His Royal Highness are 
ordered to carry on a war of extermination against 



FOR CONVERTING THE SAVAGES. 275 

them. Those who are taken prisoners are at the 
disposal of their captors as slaves, for the space 
of ten years. It is doubtful whether the offers of 
conciliation contained in this proclamation will 
produce in any degree the desired effect; for the 
Buticudos have an unconquerable aversion to a 
settled way of life, and a rooted antipathy to every 
other nation ; nor have they intelligence enough 
to appreciate the benefits of civilized society; so 
that there appears no hope of reducing them but 
by the dreadful alternative proposed in the latter 
part of the decree. One reason for having re- 
course to this summary mode of dealing with 
them, which will probably outweigh any argu- 
ments in favor of gentler proceedings, is, that the 
country they inhabit contains gold, and the settlers 
and adventurers are desirous to obtain speedy pos- 
session of it. Some officers, well acquainted with 
the locality of the territory, and skilled in the art 
of conducting an Indian war, are already em- 
ployed in this difficult enterprise. About two 
leagues from this village is another, called Piranga, 
situated near the margin of a river of that name, 
which at a distance of four leagues joins the San 
Jose, and with it forms the Rio Doce. This river 
runs through a fine country, in a northerly and 
afterwards an easterly direction, discharging itself 
into the sea in lat. 19° 30' south. There are three 
islands at its mouth, called Os Tres Irmaos, (the 
Three Brothers). 



276 



PIRANGA. 



Were this river rendered navigable, what be- 
nefits might accrue to the fine country through 
which it flows! Large quantities of sugar, cotton, 
and other produce, which the soil is capable of 
growing, besides excellent timber for exportation, 
would then form the basis of an extensive com- 
merce, by stimulating the industry of the planters, 
who are at present averse from cultivating beyond 
the extent of their own consumption, on account 
of the heavy expense attendant on a land-carriage 
of above five hundred miles to the nearest sea-port. 

Piranga is perhaps more exposed to the attacks 
of the Indians than the village of San Jose, but 
there are some gold-washings in its neighbour- 
hood which tempt the inhabitants to brave that 
danger. A small band of horse-soldiers is stationed 
here to parade the confines, enter the woods, and 
go in quest of the natives whenever information 
is given. Yet, notwithstanding these precautions, 
the village is never in perfect security ; a house in 
its immediate vicinity was surprised a few months 
previous to our visit to this district. 

We now took leave of the vicar and his guests, 
and, I may add, of all the villagers, who came 
out to salute us as we passed. Returning to 
Castro, I remained the whole of the next day to 
examine the establishment. It is built, like that 
at Barro, in the form of a square, the dwellings 
of the negroes forming three sides, and the man- 
sion the fourth, the entrance being in front through 



CASTRO. 277 

a pair of gates, which, when shut, secure the whole. 
The rooms in the mansion were like ancient halls, 
adorned with carvings, and fitted up and furnished 
after the old fashion. Here were blunderbusses, 
swords, and other weapons for defence, used in 
former days, when the house was liable to the 
continual attacks of the Buticudos. The stairs, 
gallery, and floors, were of fine wood, of a 
quality which time had not in any degree 
perceptibly injured. Attached to the house 
were the remains of a sugar-mill, distil-house, 
corn-mill, and a machine, worked by a strap and 
spindles, for spinning cotton, all in a state of ne- 
glect. The whole establishment bore marks of 
former opulence and grandeur, from which it ap- 
peared to have gradually declined as the gold- 
washings at the confluence of the rivers and in 
other parts had become exhausted. The negroes 
were now all removed to Castro, except a few in- 
firm and sick, who were stationed here to keep 
the mansion in order, (this being considered as a 
light employment for them), until such time as 
their convalescence should fit them for resuming 
their labors along with their brethren at the other 
estate. 

Having made a sketch of the house, and visited 
every part which interested me, I returned by the 
same road to Barro, where I employed myself in 
making a topographical map of the river, distin- 
guishing by different colors the places already 
washed for gold, those which were then washing, 



278 



BARRO. 



and the yet unworked grounds. This sort of map 
might be made on a large scale, so as to include a 
whole district or parish, where the several mines, 
or gold-beds, in their different stages, might be 
exhibited at one view. 

On this estate are employed one hundred and 
fifty-six negroes, of all descriptions, who, on such 
excellent land, producing every necessary for 
food and clothing, might be expected to earn con- 
siderably more than their own maintenance ; yet 
a former steward managed so ill for twenty suc- 
cessive years, that, although he had nothing to 
purchase but a little iron, and though the gold- 
mines were then more productive than at pre- 
sent, he ran the establishment annually into debt 
to the shopkeepers of Yilla Rica. A single cir- 
cumstance may account for this mismanagement ; 
the noble proprietor resided in Portugal. At 
present the estate is in a much more prosperous 
way, being entrusted to the care of another stew- 
ard, and three overseers, all Creolians. The 
latter receive a salary of thirty milrees (about 
nine pounds sterling) per annum, besides their 
maintenance ; their business is to execute the 
orders of the steward, and to superintend the la- 
bor of the negroes committed to their charge. 
They lead a life of extreme indolence, never 
putting their hands to any species of work. 

The general diet of the country-people in this 
land of Canaan is somewhat similar to that of the 
miners in the vicinity of S. Paulo, already de- 



FOOD OF NEGROES. 279 

scribed. The master, his steward, and the over- 
seers, sit down to a breakfast of kidney-beans of 
a black color, boiled, which they mix with the flour 
of Indian corn, and eat with a little dry pork fried or 
boiled. The dinner generally consists, also, of a bit 
of pork or bacon boiled, the water from which is 
poured upon a dish of the flour above mentioned, 
thus forming a stiff pudding. A large quantity (about 
half a peck) of this food is poured in a heap in the 
middle of the table, andagreat dish of boiled beans is 
set upon it: each person helps himself in the readi- 
est way, there being only one knife, which is very 
often dispensed with. A plate or two of cole- 
wort or cabbage-leaves complete the repast. The 
food is commonly served up in the earthen vessels 
used for cooking it ; sometimes on pewter dishes. 
The general beverage is water. At supper no- 
thing is seen but large quantities of boiled greens, 
with a little bit of poor bacon to flavor them. On 
any festival occasion, or when strangers appear, 
the dinner or supper is improved by the addition 
of a stewed fowl. 

The food prepared for the negroes is Indian 
corn-flour, mixed with hot water, in which a bit 
of pork has been boiled. This dish serves both 
for breakfast and supper. Their dinner consists 
of beans boiled in the same way. This unfor- 
tunate race of men are here treated with great 
kindness and humanity, which, indeed, their good 
behaviour seems to deserve. They are allowed as 
much land as they can, at their leisure, cultivate, 



280 



FOOD OF NEGROES. 



(Sundays and holidays being by law allotted to 
them for that purpose), and are permitted to sell 
or dispose of their produce as they please. Their 
owners clothe them with shirts and trowsers made 
of coarse cotton, which is grown and woven on 
the estate. Their days of labor are rather long; 
before sun-rise a bell rings to summon them to 
prayers, which are recited by one of the over- 
seers, and repeated by the congregation; after 
worship is over they proceed to work, at which 
they continue till after sun-set, when prayers are 
said as in the morning. An hour after supper 
they are employed in preparing wood to burn, 
taking Indian corn from the husk, and in other 
in-door operations. Swelled necks are not un- 
common among the men-negroes, but in other re- 
spects they appear healthy: I saw few or none 
afflicted with elephantiasis, or with any cutaneous 
disease. There were many very aged of both 
sexes; a few even remembered their old master, 
the first possessor, though he has been dead up- 
wards of sixty years. 

Their principal article of diet, the farinha cle 
milho, or flour of Indian corn, appeared so palat- 
able and nutritive, that, after living upon it for 
some time, I had the curiosity to enquire into 
the mode of preparing it from the grain. It is 
first soaked in water, and afterwards pounded in 
its swelled and moist state, to separate the outer 
husk. It then appears almost granulated, and is 
put upon copper pans, which have a fire under- 



STATE OF SOCIETY. 281 

neath, and in these it is kept constantly stirred 
until it is dry and fit for eating. This substitute 
for bread is as common among the inhabitants 
here as is the farinha de Pao, or mandioca, among 
the people of Rio de Janeiro, S. Paulo, and other 
districts. 

The grain is grown always on virgin lands, 
cleared by burning, after the manner already de- 
scribed. In good seasons, or, in other words, 
when the dry weather allows the felled wood to 
be completely reduced to ashes, the return is from 
one hundred and fifty to two hundred bushels for 
one. Weeding is only performed after the seed 
has been a short time in the ground ; indeed, the 
growing crops suffer less from the neglect of that 
operation than from the depredations of rats, which 
are frequently very considerable. 

On the state of society here I had little leisure 
to make observations. A general debility seemed 
to prevail among the females, which I imputed to 
the want of better food and more exercise : they 
confine themselves principally to the sedentary 
employments of sewing, or making lace. While 
at San Jose I saw many females from the country, 
dressed in gowns made of English prints ; some of 
them had woollen mantles, edged with gold lace 
or Manchester velvet, thrown loosely over their 
shoulders. Their hair was invariably fastened with 
combs, and they in general wore, out of doors, men's 
hats. The men, most of whom belonged to the 
militia, appeared in uniforms. No two things can 



282 



FRUIT AT BARRO. 



be more different than the deshabille and full-dress 
of a nominal militia officer. When at home he 
seldom puts on more than half his clothes,, over 
which he throws an old great coat; and saunters 
about the house in this attire from morning till 
night, a true picture of idleness. On Sundays, 
or on gala-days, after some hours spent in decorat- 
ing his person, he sallies forth, completely meta- 
morphosed from a slip-shod sloven into a spruce- 
officer, glittering in a weight of gold lace, on a 
horse caparisoned with equal splendor, forming 
as fine a sight for the gazing multitude as a general 
at a review. He observes no medium between 
these extremes, being always very shabby or 
very fine. 

During my stay at Barro I was presented with 
some singularly fine fruit, equal in flavor to fresh 
almonds, and capable of being preserved by dry- 
ing only, so as to become a valuable article of 
commerce. Having never before heard of this 
fruit, I am induced to give a brief account of it. 
The exterior substance is about the size of a full- 
grown cocoa-nut with the rind on, say nine or ten 
inches long and five or six in the thickest part. 
It grows suspended from the branch by a very 
slender but strong stem. This shell is full of ker- 
nels, to the number of from thirty to fifty, of the 
shape of almonds, but twice or thrice the size, 
disposed in ranges or layers, and separated from 
each other by a white pithy substance. As these 
kernels ripen, the top of the shell, which appears 



RETURN TO VILLA RICA. 283 

like a lid, is gradually forced open, and when they 
are at full maturity, the larger part, which con- 
tains them, separates and falls to the ground. The ^ 
trees, at the season of shedding their fruits, are 
frequented by wild hogs, herds of monkies, flocks 
of parrots, and other birds, which never quit 
them, while any of these delicious nuts remain. I 
was credibly informed that some trees have been 
known to produce above a ton weight in a season. 
One of the nuts I preserved and brought with 
me, which I sent to Sir Joseph Banks. 

We now took leave of the good people at the 
fmenda, and returned to Villa Rica by the way 
we came. I had, with great difficulty, procured a 
few pounds of butter, made after the new process, 
as a present for Dr. Lucas, the Judge, which ar- 
rived perfectly fresh and sw r eet. On passing Lav- 
ras Velhas, as we returned, we were shown some 
excellent cinchona, very like that of Peru, and 
said to possess similar properties in a high degree. 
From the specimen we saw, there was every reason 
to believe, that, if fairly introduced into practice, 
it might be administered in many cases with as 
much success as Peruvian bark; and, as great 
quantities might be procured here, the experiment 
is certainly worth attending to by medical men. I 
sent a parcel of it home, but by some accident or 
other it was lost at the Custom-house. 

In many parts of our route we might have col- 
lected insects, but they require so much attention 
and care in preserving them for conveyance so 



284 VILLA RICA. 

great a distance, that I gave up the pursuit. It 
appeared to me extraordinary, that I had not, 
since my arrival in Brazil, seen (except in the ca- 
binets of the curious,) more than one curculio 
imperialis (diamond-beetle), though I had fre- 
quently searched for them in almost every variety 
of plantation. 

During my absence from Villa Rica one of my 
soldiers had procured me a full pound of native 
bismuth in lumps, none of which exceeded an 
ounce in weight. It is frequently found in this 
state, which proves that it is out of its place, 
as it originally occurs in veins. Many pieces of 
pyrites, and various iron ores, were also brought 
to me. 

I had commissioned some persons to collect land 
shells for me during my absence, and was now to 
my great gratification presented with six, of a 
fine chesnut brown color, with beautiful pink 
mouths, belonging to a new variety of the helix. 
Having kept them a few days, without taking out 
the animals, I was surprised to find that one of 
the latter had laid two eggs. I had before ima- 
gined that they were oviparous. I took one of 
the shells in my hand, while the animal was crawl- 
ing, when it immediately folded itself, and entered 
very quickly, in which exertion another egg was 
deposited in the mouth of the shell. All the 
eggs were about the size of a sparrow's. These 
were the only land shells I had seen on this 
journey. 



THE MINT. 



285 



On resuming my visit to the mint I took an 
early opportunity of stating to the acting gover- 
nors my ideas respecting a new regulation for sup- 
plying mercury to the miners. One great impedi- 
ment to the use of that metal, so essential in cer- 
tain branches of the process, was the exorbitant 
price at which it was exclusively sold by the apo- 
thecaries, generally upwards of two shillings the 
ounce. I suggested that the mint should be the 
general depository for it, and that it should be is- 
sued from thence to the gold-washers without 
profit. By this regulation the article would be 
brought into general use, much to the benefit of 
the state as well as of private individuals. I also 
gave them models of earthen vessels, which might 
be made at a small expense, for evaporating and 
condensing the mercury, which, if universally 
adopted, would effect a great saving in the con- 
sumption of that article. 

The remainder of my stay, previous to my 
journey to Tejuco, passed very agreeably. In the 
evening-parties to which I was invited, and which 
generally consisted of ladies and gentlemen, I ob- 
served that the English style of dress prevailed, 
particularly among the former. The houses of 
the higher classes in Villa Rica are much more 
convenient and better furnished than any I saw 
in Rio de Janeiro and S. Paulo, and are for the 
most part kept in the exactest order. Their beds 




seemed to me so elegant as to deserve a particular 
description. The posts were of fine wood, fluted 



286 BEDS OF THE PORTUGUESE. 

or carved in various ways; the sides plain, the 
bottoms of boards or leather. The bed itself was 
of cotton, the sheets of fine linen edged with lace 
of home manufacture, full nine inches broad. The 
bolster was covered with fine muslin, the ends of 
which were edged also with lace. The pillows 
were made round at the ends and covered with pink 
sarsnet, over which was another of fine muslin, 
terminated with broad lace, which being starched 
and delicately managed had a very rich appear- 
ance. The coverlet was yellow satin of a Damask 
pattern, edged like the sheets and pillows with 
broad lace. The hangings were of the same ma- 
terials, in the form of a canopy, without curtains. 
Not excepting the refinements of recent date in 
this article of furniture, I never saw beds so 
magnificent as those of the opulent in this cap- 
taincy. 

Every thing being now in readiness for my de- 
parture, I waited upon the several inhabitants to 
whom I had been introduced, to express my 
thanks for the polite attentions they had shewn 
me, and received from them the most obliging as- 
surances of friendship, and the kindest wishes for 
my welfare. I also, much to my regret, took 
leave of my valued friend and fellow-traveller, 
Mr. Goodall, whose affairs required him to go to 
St. Joao D'El Rey, and thence return to Rio de 
Janeiro. Never was a traveller more fortunate 
in a companion; always cheerful and in spirits, 
he had the happy faculty of regarding every thing 



JOURNEY TO TEJUCO. 



287 



on its bright side, and in all the various incon- 
veniences of bad roads, wretched inns, miserable 
fare, and worse accommodations, he exemplified 
the truth of the adage that, * sl merry heart hath 
a continual feast." Being perfectly master of the 
language, and well acquainted with the character 
and manners of the people, he made himself at 
home every where, and generally contrived to 
draw from the conversation of those around him, 
some topic either for lively remark or instructive 
comment. These amiable qualities, the offspring 
of a cultivated understanding and an excellent 
heart, gave him a double claim to that respect and 
confidence which we ever entertain for those whom 
we distinguish by the name of friend. 



CHAP. XII. 

Journey from Villa Rica to Tejuco, the Capital 
of the Diamond District. 

HAVING previously sent letters to his Excel- 
lency the Conde de Linhares, giving him an ac- 
count of my proceedings, I set out from Villa 
Rica, attended by the two soldiers and my negro 
servant. I passed through the city of Mariana, 
and entered upon the plain in its vicinity already 



288 



JOURNEY TO TEJUCO. 



mentioned, which, in the rainy season, is often en- 
tirely overflowed. To the left I observed a beau- 
tiful and romantic mountain, called Morro de 
Santa Anna, on which stood many small neat 
houses, surrounded by coffee-plantations and 
orangeries; its base was watered by a corvinha, 
or rivulet, the banks of which contain much gold, 
and are worked by the inhabitants of the mount. 
Passing onward, the road became very confined ; 
and the land, though now covered with wood, 
appeared to have been formerly under cultiva- 
tion. We here met a number of mules laden 
with sugar, destined for Villa Rica, or, if not sold 
there, for Rio de Janeiro. 

We arrived and refreshed at a little village 
called Camargo, and passed an excellent house, 
situated near a rivulet of that name, where there 
is a gold-washing, which employs about two hun- 
dred negroes, and is said to be very productive. 
About a league farther we passed a poor little 
place called Bento Rodriguez, and about six in 
the evening arrived at a very considerable village, 
called Inficionado, which contains full fifteen hun- 
dred inhabitants. It had been more populous, but 
its mines having decreased, it was then on the de- 
cline. Finding no inn that offered any thing 
tolerable, I alighted at the house of a shopkeeper, 
who very civilly provided me an apartment to 
sleep in, and introduced me at supper to his w r ife, 
and three other ladies, whose society was very 
pleasant and cheerful. On the next day, after 



CORG0 DO INFICIONADO. 289 

some trouble, my soldiers at a late hour procured 
mules, when I set out about ten o'clock upon a 
bad road, and, after travelling half a league, ar- 
rived at the Corgo do Inficionado, a fine rivulet 
flowing through a country rich in gold, particu- 
larly near the village of Santa Barbara, where 
washings appear in all directions. From hence 
to the village of Catas Altas, two leagues distant, 
is a tract of the finest open country I ever tra- 
velled in Brazil ; it has many features resembling 
that between Matlock and Derby, and its moun- 
tains bear a strong similarity to those of West- 
moreland. There are slips in some of them in 
which topazes are found, but rarely any of good 
quality. This district appeared equally suited 
for mining and agriculture, the ground being rich 
above as well as below. The village of Catas 
Altas, through which we rode, contains at least 
two thousand inhabitants, and is situated in a po- 
pulous neighbourhood. The public buildings are 
well constructed, and the private houses in ge- 
neral appear very respectable, but bear evident 
marks of decay. We crossed the river which is 
broad but shallow, and has works on its banks of 
greater extent and under better management than 
any I had hitherto seen. The whole vicinity is 
irrigated by numerous rivulets, many of which are 
diverted from their courses to a great distance for 
the purpose of gold-washing. In all parts, even 
on the tops and sides of the hills, we observed 
operations of this kind going on ; in the valleys 
u 



290 



MANSION OF 



there were many spots still rich in gold, which 
had not yet been washed. 

Continuing about six miles over this naked 
country, we entered on a more confined road, and 
passing a village called Cocaes, proceeded half a 
league further in the dark, to the mansion of 
Senhor Felicio, the Capitao Mor of the district, 
where we alighted, having travelled this day 
above thirty miles. On being announced, I was 
immediately shown up stairs into a suite of hand- 
some apartments, furnished with great magnifi- 
cence, where I was introduced by the Capitao to 
his amiable lady and daughter. We were joined by 
Dr. Gomides, a man of talents and science, with 
whom I entered into conversation, and who after- 
wards showed me a fine collection of gold in va- 
rious forms, some like duck-shot, others lami- 
nated with micaceous iron, others arborescent. 
He had also some specimens of stalactitic matter, 
on which nitre was forming, others of specular 
iron ore, and three or four fine pieces of chrome, 
which I at first took for realgar. From this gen- 
tleman I received considerable information re- 
specting the mineralogy of the country, which is 
so difficult to be obtained accurate, that I found 
reason to reject all which did not correspond with 
what I saw. In the course of the evening the 
party was joined by the Count de Oeyenhausen, 
who commands a corps of cavalry in the district. 
He made many enquiries of me respecting Eng- 
land, that being the country in which he had re- 



SENHOR FELICIO. 291 

eeived his education, and to which he seemed as 
much attached as to his native soil. 

This large establishment, though still rich in 
gold, is worked by only two hundred negroes. 
One part of the estate is an auriferous mountain 
of schistus, containing beds of micaceous iron 
ore; the latter substance forms a thin stratum, 
which contains gold in grains laminated with it. 
It is singular to remark, that the cascalho, which 
generally, nay, almost invariably occurs in ra- 
vines and low situations, is here found at a very 
small depth below the surface on the summit. 

The discovery of the original gold mine in this 
rich sesmaria, is said to have been owing to the 
following accident. Some negroes employed in 
clearing the land, broke up an ant-hill of consi- 
derable size, when, on laying it open to the air, 
for the purpose of destroying or dispersing the in- 
sects, large grains of gold were found. It is, 
however, highly probable that the general cha- 
racteristics of the soil had led to the discovery 
long before this period, and that the accident here 
related, served only to indicate the presence of 
gold in a part which had not been supposed to 
contain any. The estate is situated almost in the 
centre of the mining country, and is reputed one 
of the richest portions of it. The owner and his 
brother, who are partners, have conducted their 
concerns in a liberal way, and are said to be very 
wealthy. It was my wish to have staid a day or 
two for the purpose of inspecting the extensive 



292 



THE GOOD OLD MAN 



works which they have opened ; but I forebore to 
make any request of this nature, as I perceived, 
or supposed, some little jealousy or suspicion re- 
specting my views. It seemed to be the opinion 
here, as well as in other places, that I had a mis- 
sion from Government, authorizing me to enquire 
into the state of the mines, and give a report con- 
cerning them. 

In riding past the works, after having taken leave 
of the Capitao I did not perceive any machinery 
used for facilitating manual labor. The tedious 
process of washing by hand was most generally 
practised ; in some instances inclined canoes were 
used, which, if carried to the degree of improve- 
ment of which they are susceptible, might much 
more effectually answer the purpose. 

Between the mountain on Capitao Felicio's 
estate and the village of Sahara is a rich mining 
district, which extends also to Bromare, over a 
continuation of hilly country. It is occupied 
by several opulent miners, who possess many fine 
grounds still unworked. A tract of land a few 
miles in extent is appropriated to agricultural 
purposes, being reputed to be destitute of gold. 

I proceeded four leagues, over a well-watered 
and finely-wooded country, to a hamlet called 
Vaz, a name which had become familiar to my ear 
through the frequent mention which my soldiers 
made of " the good old man of Yaz." This 
person, whose reception of me fully justified the 
appellation with which he had been distinguished. 



OF VAS. 



293 



was a farmer from Oporto, who had been resident 
here about forty years. He bought the estate 
with twenty negroes upon it, and paid for it by 
yearly instalments in twenty years afterwards. 
This mode of disposing of estates is much prac- 
tised, being at once easy to the purchaser, and 
advantageous to the seller, as it ensures to the 
latter a better price than he could obtain on the 
condition of immediate payment. The house, which 
is well-built and convenient, has a sugar-mill and dis- 
tillery attached to it. The sugar is generally sent 
to Rio, under an agreement with the carrier, 
giving him half or sometimes two-thirds of the 
proceeds, with a promise of back-carriage of salt, 
iron, and other commodities. 

Owing to the kind assiduities of my worthy 
host, the evening passed very agreeably. Many 
of the neighbours came to see and converse with 
me, as I was the first Englishman, or perhaps 
foreigner, who had ever travelled so far into the 
interior. Their curiosity led them to examine 
almost every implement I carried with me; my 
saddle, bridle, and stirrups, were viewed with 
great attention; nor could they imagine how it 
was possible to sit in the former with any degree 
of safety. There was no convincing them that it 
was much preferable to the Portuguese saddle, 
which has a ridge about eight inches high, both 
before and behind, so that the rider is, as it were, 
in the stocks, and, though not so liable to be 



294 



ITAMBE. 



thrown out, has a most galling and uncomfortable 

seat. 

The next morning I visited the negroes' houses, 
and was much pleased to find one set apart for 
the reception of poor distressed travelling ne- 
groes, who here find a fatherly protection, and are 
allowed to stay as long a time as may suit their 
necessities. On taking leave of the good old 
gentleman, I could not prevail on him to accept 
any remuneration for his kindness, and he replied 
to my thanks with the warmest assurances of 
welcome. I crossed a fine stream, and rode 
through several plantations of sugar-cane, which 
were at this season nearly ready for cutting. 
The country, as we proceeded, gradually became 
more mountainous, and abounded with argillace- 
ous schistus very full of quartz. After riding 
about sixteen miles, we saw a very singular moun- 
tain, or bare rock of granite, called Itambe, form- 
ing part of a high ridge which lay on our left. 
About four o'clock we arrived at a poor village, 
also called Itambe, situated near a fine river of 
the same name. This place was formerly of some 
consequence, but as the gold in its vicinity failed, 
it sunk into poverty and wretchedness. It con- 
tains about a thousand inhabitants, who, degraded 
to the lowest stage of inactive apathy, looked as 
if they were the ghosts of their progenitors haunt- 
ing the ruins of their departed wealth. 

Every thing about them bore a cheerless as- 



RIO DAS ONZAS. 



295 



pect ; the houses were ready to fall to the ground 
through want of repair; the door-places were 
overgrown with grass,, and the patches of garden- 
ground that here and there appeared, were covered 
with weeds. The face of the country, too, was 
entirely different from that which I had passed on 
my way hither, being universally sterile, dry, and 
stony. It may well be supposed, from this de- 
scription, that our accommodations here were of 
the worst kind : we halted at a miserable abode, 
where they offered us some mouldy Indian corn 
and feijones, and, after a great deal of difficulty, 
procured us a fowl. My servant was obliged to 
clean all the utensils before they could be used ; 
and the soldiers while cooking, were obliged to 
guard the pot lest some half-famished prowler 
should steal it. The commandant of the place, with 
whom we had afterwards some conversation, an- 
swered our remarks on the visible signs of starva- 
tion in the looks of the villagers, by coolly saying, 
" While they get Indian corn to eat, and water to 
drink, they will not die of hunger." I was glad 
to depart from this home of famine as fast as pos- 
sible, heartily joining in the exclamation which 
the Portuguese have bestowed upon it; " Das 

mizerias de Itambe libera nos Domine!" (From 

the miseries of Itambe the Lord deliver us!) 

After riding about five miles, we came ,to the 
River Das Onzas, so named from the numbers of 
those animals which formerly infested its banks. 
Changing our mules at a village called Lagos, con- 



296 VILLAGE OF GASPAR SOARES. 

sisting of a few miserable fa%endas, we proceeded 
a league over a most rugged and mountainous 
road, and passing a ridge, entered on a fine coun- 
try, presenting to view a grand picturesque moun- 
tain nearly a league distant from us ; about mid- 
way up was a large house, to which we directed 
our course. We forded a rather deep river called 
Rio Negro, on account of the blackness of its 
waters, caused by the decomposition of bitumin- 
ous or vegetable matter. Its margin, along which 
we rode for some distance, presented some fine 
grazing land. Passing through a broken and ir- 
regular tract of country, we arrived at another 
deserted village called Gaspar Soares, and rode 
up to the house above-mentioned, the owner of 
which was from home, but his lady received me 
very politely. Having arrived rather early in the 
evening, I employed myself some time in walking 
about the grounds : the mountain on which the 
house stands consists almost entirely of micaceous 
iron ore* ; the wall before the door of the house 
was built of that substance. In some parts, to 
my great surprise, I observed it lying in regular 
strata, not more than an inch in thickness, be- 
tween beds of white sand. The quantity of ore 
found in this neighbourhood is so considerable as 
to have induced Government to commence an 
iron-work, under the direction of Dr. Manoel 
Ferreira da Camara, Intendant of the Diamond 



* This substance contains fine-formed octahedral crystals of mag- 
netic iron. 



LAGOS. 297 

District. In aid of this undertaking, the gen- 
tleman, at whose house I was a guest, has pre- 
sented a square league of wood-land, the only 
tract of that description in the neighbourhood. 
The ground for the intended works is marked out, 
and a few blocks of stone are prepared; but the 
undertaking seems to go on very slowly, and pro- 
bably will not arrive at any great degree of per- 
fection. 

This hill and the streams near it were formerly 
rich in gold, but they have been completely wash- 
ed, and are at present as much exhausted as the 
works at Itambe. A rivulet which runs over the 
top of the hill afforded conveniences for washing, 
which are very rarely to be met with ; it is now 
intended to be converted to the use of the iron 
manufactory. 

On the following day I continued my route 
northerly, over a fine country, and, after riding, or 
rather walking, about six miles of bad road with 
wretched mules, ascended a hill abounding with 
rich compact iron ore. Two leagues of the way 
were covered with excellent oxide of iron, and it 
appeared as if the hills were entirely covered with 
that substance. Without any material occur- 
rence, we arrived at a beautiful rivulet, near 
which stood a miserable hut, where two women 
were weaving cotton. This place, apparently so 
insignificant, proved one of the most interesting, 
in a mineralogical point of view, which I had hi- 
therto visited. It is called Lagos, and also bears 



298 



LAGOS. 



the name of Ouro Branco (White Gold), in allu- 
sion to a granular substance, not unlike gold in 
size and weight, found in a gold-washing in the bed 
of the stream. This substance, which has since 
been proved to be platina, was discovered marly 
yjears ago in the cascalho below the vegetable 
earth, and incumbent on the solid rock, accompa- 
nied with gold and black oxide of iron. From 
these circumstances the people judged it to be 
gold united with some other metal, from which it 
could not be separated; and, as the quantity of 
real gold found was small, and the white gold, as 
they called it, was not known to be of value, the 
work was gradually neglected, and at length aban- 
doned. I procured a specimen of the substance : 
it appeared accompanied with osmium and iridium, 
and was in rougher grains than the platina brought 
from the province of Choco; which latter cir- 
cumstance may be owing to its not having been 
triturated with mercury. Now that the substance 
is known to be platina, it is doubtful whether the 
work might be resumed with advantage, as the 
demand for that article is at present so small, that 
the quantity sold would hardly pay expenses. 
Near this place is a work called Mata Cavallos. 

The rivulet of Lagos empties itself into the 
Rio de St. Antonio, along which we rode a small 
distance, and proceeding about four miles farther, 
arrived at Conceicao, a large and tolerably hand- 
some village. I was conducted to the house of 
the curate, who kindly assigned to me an apart- 



BUTICUDO BOY. 



299 



ment for the night, and, perceiving that I was un- 
well, gave me an invitation to rest a day, which I 
very gladly accepted. 

I here received many visits from the villagers, 
whose curiosity had been excited by the news of 
an Englishman having arrived : some of them 
were upwards of eighty years of age, and, as they 
had resided here more than fifty, they were able 
to give many curious accounts of the country, 
and of the progress and decline of its mines. I 
was much pleased with the information they com- 
municated, but more so with the attention of the 
good curate, who corrected every misrepresenta- 
tion, and seemed anxious that I should not be led 
into error, either through accident or design. By 
some means or other, an opinion circulated among 
them that I was a medical man, and numbers of 
infirm persons, principally old men, women, and 
children, were brought to me for advice. In the 
evening we were entertained with music by some 
of the younger females, who brought their guitars, 
and sung several pleasing airs. 

I was here shown a Buticudo Indian boy, appa- 
rently about nine years of age, who had been 
taken about six months before. He could not 
utter a word of Portuguese; but, from the ex- 
pression of his countenance, his mind seemed ca- 
pable of receiving any tuition. His eyes had so much 
vivacity in them that they almost spoke, especially 
when his attention was attracted by any thing 



300 BUTICUDO BOY. 

agreeable, as I found by offering him a few sweet- 
meats, with which he seemed much delighted. I 
examined his features and the construction of his 
frame with some curiosity, as exhibiting the cha- 
racteristics of the singular race of men from whom 
he sprung. The face was short, the mouth rather 
wide, the nose broad, the eyes large and black, 
skin of a dusky copper color, hair jet-black, strong, 
straight, and of regular length, limbs stout and well- 
proportioned, feet large, probably from going with- 
out shoes. He lived with a poor woman, who clothed 
and brought him up exactly as one of her family. 
On enquiring how he came there, I was informed 
that he belonged to a party of Indians who were 
surprised at a place about six leagues distant, and 
all either fell or escaped, except this little fellow, 
who was taken care of, and brought hither by an 
officer resident in the village. 

Being still too unwell to travel, I remained an- 
other day, and met with every attention and care 
from the good clergyman and his housekeeper. In 
the course of conversation, he informed me that 
he studied and had been ordained at S. Paulo ; and 
when he learnt that I had been there so recently, 
seemed much pleased, and asked me many ques- 
tions respecting the present state of that city, 
which showed his attachment to it as the scene of 
his youthful days. 

About a week previous to my arrival, this vil- 
lage was the scene of a somewhat remarkable ad- 



A SMUGGLER OF DIAMONDS. 301 

venture. A tropeiro* going to Rio de Janeiro 
with some loaded mules, was overtaken by two 
cavalry soldiers, who ordered him to surrender his 
fowling-piece ; which being done, they bored the 
butt-end with a gimblet, and rinding it hollow, 
took off the iron from the end, where they found 
a cavity containing about three hundred carats of 
diamonds, which they immediately seized. The 
man in vain protested his innocence, stating that 
he had bought the gun of a friend : he was hur- 
ried away, and thrown into prison at Tejuco, 
where I afterwards saw him. The diamonds were 
confiscated, and the soldiers received half their 
value. The fate of this man is a dreadful instance 
of the rigor of the existing laws : he will forfeit 
all his property, and be confined, probably, for 
the remainder of his days in a loathsome prison, 
among felons and murderers. What must be the 
feelings (if, indeed, he can be said to possess any) 
of the fellow who betrayed him; for, doubtless, 
the poor man owed his misfortune to some secret 
villain, in the shape of a confidential friend, who, 
having learned his mode of carrying diamonds 
concealed, had, for the sake of a paltry premium, 
or from some mean spirited motive, given notice 
of it to Government! How must the miscreant 
recoil at having brought to irreparable ruin, and 
plunged into that lowest state of human misery, 

* An owner of mules, who travels with a number of them, earn in 2 
o-oods for other persons, as well as on his own account. 



302 



VILLAGE OF CONCEISAO. 



perpetual imprisonment, a man who not only- 
claimed his sympathy as a fellow-creature, hut was 
united to him hy the ties of friendship! 

The village of Conceicao, seemed to me large 
enough to contain two thousand inhabitants, but, 
like most others in this exhausted district, it was 
fast hastening to decay. The rent of a tolerable 
house is about two shillings a month. The only 
manufacture carried on here is that of a little cot- 
ton, which is spun by the hand and woven into 
coarse shirting. It appears to be a maxim among 
the inhabitants rather to go naked, than labor to 
clothe themselves. The vestiges of old gold-wash- 
ings in every direction, and the slight quantities 
still found in all parts, from the summits of the 
mountains to their bases, might almost lead a tra- 
veller to conclude that the whole country was at 
one period auriferous. The surface is in general 
fine red earth, and in many parts presents fine si- 
tuations for iron works, as there is ore and wood 
in abundance. It is much to be wished that such 
works were established; for iron is so dear at Con- 
ceicao, and the people in general so poor, that the 
mules have seldom a shoe to their feet, which is 
irksome to the riders, and dangerous to the animals 
themselves, as they are continually coming down, 
particularly when ascending a clay-hill, after a 
shower of rain. 

Neither here, nor in any other part of my jour- 
ney from Villa Rica, did I observe any limestone, 



TAPINIIOA-CANGA. 



303 



though I was informed that considerable quantities 
were found near Sahara. 

Taking leave of the worthy curate, I set out 
for Tapinhoa-canga*, distant about thirty miles. 
After an unpleasant ride through a rough stony 
country, abounding in quartz laminated with 
schistus, I reached a village called Corvos, where 
there are some gold-washings, one of which pro- 
duced, about half a year ago, a net profit of o£800. 
though only four negroes were employed a month 
upon it. The road to the village above mentioned 
led through a most uneven tract, presenting for- 
midable precipices, which required us to travel 
with so much caution, that we did not complete 
our journey until an hour after sun-set. I was re- 
ceived into a very respectable house, which had 
the appearance of former opulence. The owner, 
Captain Bom-jar dim, a venerable old gentleman, 
came to welcome me : on entering into conversa- 
tion, he informed me that he had emigrated hither 
from Oporto at the age of seventeen, and had 
lived here sixty-two years. He was tempted to 
settle here by the hope of participating in the rich 
treasures for which the country was then famed ; 
but he arrived two or three years too late: the 
mines were already on the decline, and he was 
obliged to turn his attention to agricultural pur- 
suits, in which he persevered with such success 

* Canga is the name of ferruginous quartz, fragments of which 
abound in tins town, and are used for paving the streets. 



304 



RIO DOS PEIXES. 



that he was enabied to realize a comfortable inde- 
pendency, and to bring up a numerous family in 
credit and respectability. It had been well if his 
neighbours had profited by so eminent an exam- 
ple, instead of deserting the country when the 
gold on its surface disappeared. That many did 
so was evident from the declining state of the vil- 
lage; a great number of its houses were falling to 
decay, others were untenanted, and its population, 
which formerly amounted to near three thousand, 
was dwindled to a third of that amount. 

Continuing my journey next day, I crossed the 
ridge of a lofty chain of mountains, abounding 
with streams, that were much swoln in conse- 
quence of the late rains ; one of the largest, called 
Rio dos Peixes, I forded thrice, and entered on 
a wide champaign country. In many parts I saw 
large tracts of bare places, where the grit-stone 
alternated with argillaceous schistus. The next 
ten miles led through an elevated and fertile plain, 
intersected with rivulets in every direction, and 
well calculated for farming, but very thinly inha- 
bited. Early in the afternoon I reached an emi- 
nence, from which I had a fine view of Villa do Prin- 
cipe, situated on the rise of a lofty hill opposite, 
the base of which was washed by a rivulet called 
Corvinko dos Quatro Vi?itens*. On arriving in 

* Four vintens are nearly equal to a shilling of our money. When 
this rivulet was first washed for gold, the quantity produced by each 
gamella amounted in value to that sum. As the cascalho then lay near 
the surface, and required very little trouble to get at, one washer could 



VILLA DO PRINCIPE. 



305 



the town, I was conducted to the house of the 
governor, or chief magistrate, who received me 
very politely, and introduced me to his lady and a 
party of friends, with whom I took tea. 

Villa do Principe was established as a pomarco, 
or district, in the year 1730, when the gold-wash- 
ings were most productive : but it dates its origin 
fifteen years earlier, at which period the place was 
discovered by the Paulistas, who had then com- 
menced to migrate from Villa Rica and the adja- 
cent settlements. The town at present contains 
about five thousand inhabitants, the most consi- 
derable proportion of whom are shopkeepers, and 
the rest artisans, farmers, miners, and laborers. 
Here is a house of permutation, to which every 
miner in the district brings the gold he obtains, 
and pays the royal fifth, as is done in Villa Rica. 
The ouvidor holds the office of mint-master, which 
renders his situation one of the best in the gift of 
the crown. Here are several inferior officers be- 
longing to various departments of the public ser- 
vice. As this town is situated very near the con- 
fines of the Diamond District, and on the high 
road leading to it, the strictest regulations pre- 
vail respecting the passage of all persons thither. 
No one, except travellers on business, with cer- 

clear about twelve bowls-full per how, which was considered a com- 
paratively rich return. 

In the mines they have two methods of estimating the quantity pro- 
duced : for example ; Quatro Vintens, here mean four vintens of gold, 
which is equal to eight of copper; whereas, in Rio de Janeiro, the 
same expression implies four vintens of copper. 



306 



VILLA DO PRINCIPE. 



tificates to that effect, is suffered to proceed, un- 
til a formal notification has been made to the go- 
vernor of that district; the laws of which are so 
strict, that any person found within it, out of the 
regular road, is liable to be apprehended on sus- 
picion, and subjected to an examination, which 
frequently occasions much trouble and delay. 

The country around Villa do Principe is very 
fine and open, being free from those impenetrable 
woods, which occur so frequently in other parts of 
the province. Its soil is in general very produc- 
tive, and the climate mild and salubrious. 

At a washing about six leagues distant, a lump 
of gold was found of several pounds weight. From 
the same place I procured some above two ounces, 
and obtained the large crystals now in my posses- 
sion, one of which is considered unique. 

I quitted Villa do Principe about noon on the 
day following, after making my acknowledgments 
for the polite attentions of the governor, who kindly 
sent a servant to attend me the first league of the 
road. This man I commissioned, under a promise of 
pecuniary recompence, to collect for me land-shells 
and insects, against my return, which I expected 
would take place in two or three months; and, 
from the aptness with which he received my di- 
rections, (joined to the prospect of emolument), 
I had little doubt but that he would attend to 
them. 

As we journeyed on, I perceived that the coun- 
try bore an aspect entirely different from that in 



DIAMOND DISTRICT. 



307 



the neighbourhood of Villa do Principe: its sur- 
face, consisting of coarse sand and rounded quartz 
pebbles, was almost destitute of wood or herbage. 
One hillock near the road exhibited perpendicular 
laminae of micaceous grit,, which, on alighting 
from my horse and examining, I found to be flex- 
ible. My soldier, hearing me remark that the 
country bore characteristics which I had never 
observed elsewhere, exclaimed, " Senhor, we are 
in the Diamond District." This circumstance, 
which I had not before thought of, fully accounted 
for the change. We travelled over a very sterile 
country for the first four leagues, and passed se- 
veral high mountains. Towards the close of the 
day we reached an eminence, from which we be- 
held a most romantic cluster of dwellings, resem- 
bling a labyrinth, or a negroes-town in Africa. 
We descended the hill, and approached the place ; 
when, it being nearly dark, I was conducted to a 
house much larger than any of the others, where 
I learnt that the establishment was a diamond- 
work called San Gonzales, the first which occurs 
in the Serro do Frio. It has been some time on 
the decline, and employs about 200 negroes. The 
intendant, a very intelligent man, had been ap- 
prised of our coming by a letter from the governor 
at Tejuco, and gave me a very friendly reception. 
While engaged in conversation with him, I ob- 
served (it being now moon-light) some fine cows 
in front of the premises, and concluded that they 
were come to be milked, but this I understood 



308 SALT GIVEN TO CATTLE. 

was not the case. They were licking the door- 
posts and sides of the houses, with much apparent 
eagerness, and, on enquiring what this signified, 
I was told that they wanted salt. They were so 
tame and gentle that, on holding out my hand, 
they licked it; when, being desirous to see the 
effect which salt produced on them, I procured 
some, and gave them a handful : but they became 
so very unruly for more, that had I not immediately 
desisted and retired, their fury might have pro- 
duced serious consequences. This article is so 
necessary for the support of the cattle, that their 
very existence depends on it, yet it is encumbered 
with a heavier duty than any other article of im- 
port, iron alone excepted. Surely, when it is 
considered that vast herds are daily sent from this 
province to Rio de Janeiro, each paying a toll of 
nearly twelve shillings on crossing the river Parai- 
buna, the impolicy of this duty must be self- 
evident, because, in raising the price of the com- 
modity to an excessive degree, it checks the breed 
of cattle, and thus ultimately defeats the purpose 
for which it was imposed. 

The next day, before we left this romantic 
place, I devoted some time to an examination of 
the refuse-hillocks contiguous to the diamond- 
works, but found nothing among the heaps of 
quartzose stones, which had been washed when 
this place was more in repute. I here noticed a 
thin stratum below the roots of the grass, which 
I had elsewhere seen, but never so distinctly cha- 



APPROACH TO TEJUCO. 



309 



raeteristic. It is called bergalkao, and consists 
of quartz pebbles, generally angular, and not un- 
frequently large beds of solid quartz not more 
than four or five inches thick. This stratum does 
not appear to have been formed at the same time, 
or by the same means as the cascalho, from which 
it is invariably separated by a stratum of vegetable 
earth unequal in thickness; it has more the ap- 
pearance of a thin bed of quartz subsequently 
shattered into innumerable fragments. 

Having taken leave of the administrator, I pro- 
ceeded through a continuation of mountains and 
sterile country, very thinly inhabited. I stopt at 
one of the best of the few miserable houses on the 
road to procure some refreshment. There was a 
half-starved cat in the door-way, the sight of which 
plainly evinced to me what I had to expect. Poor 
animal, thought I, the habitation in which thou 
existest, will not afford maintenance for a mouse, 
much less for thee ! While musing on this pic- 
ture of distress and famine, a poor meagre woman 
came to the door, of whom I requested a little 
water, which she brought me, and while I was 
drinking it she began to implore charity. Her 
countenance had already expressed what her tongue 
now uttered: I gave her the few provisions my 
soldiers had with them, together with a small 
piece of money, and took leave; — the last words 
I heard from her were those of gratitude. 

Ere we arrived at this place, we had seen Te- 
juco at full twelve miles' distance, and were now 



310 



ARRIVAL AT TEJUCO. 



much nearer. We crossed two rapid rivulets, one 
of them called Rio Negro, the waters of which 
were of a very black color, and afterwards passed 
a guard-house, or register, called Milho Verde, 
situated near a stream of the same name, formerly- 
much noted for diamonds. Here a band of sol- 
diers are stationed, who are always on the alert, 
riding after and examining passengers. The coun- 
try is extremely rough, and destitute of vegeta- 
tion, covered in all directions with grit-stone rocks 
full of rounded quartzose pebbles. We rode two 
miles along the Corvinho de St. Francisco, which 
runs through the ravine at the foot of the moun- 
tain on the side of which Tejuco is built, pre- 
senting much the same appearance as Villa Rica. 
I entered the town, and took up my abode at 
the best inn, which contained some neat rooms, 
and afforded tolerable accommodations. 

This was Sunday the 17th of September, being 
one month since my departure from Rio de Ja- 
neiro, during which period I had been almost con- 
tinually on horseback; for the time I remained at 
Villa Rica was principally occupied in journies to 
various places in the neighbourhood. 



3U 



CHAP. XIII. 

Visit to the Diamond Works on the River Ji- 

quitinhonha General Description of the 

Works Mode of Washing Return to Te- 

juco Visit f,o the Treasury, — Excursion to 

Rio Par do Miscellaneous Remarks, 

THE continual fatigues, and want of accommo- 
dation on the journey, had rendered me very un- 
well, and I was therefore desirous of resting a 
week at Tejuco before I proceeded to the diamond 
mines ; but, learning that I had been expected for 
the last two or three days, I sent one of my sol- 
diers up to the house of Dr. Camara, the gover- 
nor, to announce my arrival, and to state that I 
was prevented by indisposition from personally 
paying my respects to him. He immediately came 
with a few friends to visit me, gave me a most 
hearty welcome to Tejuco, and staid with me at 
least three hours. I delivered to him my public 
and private letters, passports, and other creden- 
tials, which he perused with great satisfaction, ob- 
serving to the ouvidor and his friends, that I pos- 
sessed the same privileges which they did, having 
permission from the court to see every place I 
wished, which they were directed to show me. 
He then told me that, in expectation of my ar- 
rival, he had delayed a journey to the greatest of 



312 



TEJUCO. 



the diamond works, called Mandanga, situated on 
the river Jiquitinhonha, which employs about a 
thousand Hegroes, and on particular occasions 
double that number. He was desirous that I 
should see this great work with all the machinery 
in operation, which would be very speedily re- 
moved, the late rains having swoln the rivers so 
much as to render working more, impracticable. 
He therefore kindly invited me to breakfast at his 
house on the following morning, when he would 
have all in readiness for a journey of about thirty 
miles to the place above mentioned. 

At an early hour I arose ; and, though so un- 
well as to be scarcely more than half alive, I could 
not resist the favorable opportunity now offered 
me of gratifying the curiosity which had so long 
occupied my mind, by visiting the diamond mines, 
in company with the principal officer in the admi- 
nistration of them, who was therefore qualified to 
furnish me with the amplest information. A fine 
horse was waiting for me at the door, and I rode 
up to the house of the governor, who introduced 
me to his amiable lady, daughters, and family, 
with whom I had the honor to take breakfast. Se- 
veral officers of the diamond establishment arrived 
on horseback to accompany us, their presence be- 
ing required on this occasion. 

At nine o'clock we set out, and crossed the ra- 
vine, watered by the small rivulet of St. Franciso, 
which separates Tejuco from the opposite moun- 
tains. The road was very rough and uneven, con- 



RIVER JIQUITINHONHA. 313 

tinually ascending or descending mountains of 
considerable extent, the strata of which were grit 
alternating with micaceous schistus, and present- 
ing an immense quantity of rude masses, com- 
posed of grit and rounded quartz, forming a loose 
and friable kind of pudding-stone. The country 
appeared almost destitute of wood, presenting oc- 
casionally a few poor shrubs ; there were no cattle 
to be seen, yet some of the tracts would certainly 
maintain sheep in great numbers. Having halted 
at a place about half way, we descended a very 
steep mountain, full a mile in the declivity, and 
entered a ravine, where we crossed a very good 
wooden bridge over the river Jiquitinhonha, which 
is larger than the Derwent at Derby. We rode 
along its margin, where the land appears much 
richer, presenting a good vegetable soil covered 
with underwood ; and, proceeding about a league, 
arrived at the famed place called Mandanga. The 
habitations, which are about one hundred in num- 
ber, are built detached, and are generally of a 
circular form, with very high thatched roofs, like 
African huts, but much larger. The walls are 
formed of upright stakes, interwoven with small 
branches, and coated with clay inside and out. 
The houses of the officers are of the same mate- 
rials but of much more convenient form, and white- 
washed within. Near some of the houses we ob- 
served inclosures for gardens, which, in some de- 
gree, enlivened the prospect, and gave an air of 
comfort to these rude and simple dwellings. 



314 RIVER JIQUITINHONHA. 

I remained here five days, during which I was 
occupied in viewing and examining various parts 
of the works, of which I shall here attempt to give 
a general description. 

This rich river, formed by the junction of a 
number of streams which will be hereafter noted, 
is as wide as the Thames at Windsor, and in ge- 
neral from three to nine feet deep. The part now 
in working is a curve or elbow, from which the 
current is diverted into a canal cut across the 
tongue of land, round which it winds, the river 
being stopped just below the head of the canal by 
an embankment, formed of several thousand bags 
of sand. This is a work of considerable magni- 
tude, and requires the co-operation of all the fle- 
groes to complete it; for, the river being wide 
and not very shallow, and also occasionally sub- 
ject to overflows, they have to make the embank- 
ment so strong as to resist the pressure of the 
water, admitting it to rise four or five feet. 

The deeper parts of the channel of the river 
are laid dry by means of large caissons or chain- 
pumps, worked by a water-wheel. The mud is 
then carried off, and the cascalho is dug up and 
removed to a convenient place for washing. This 
labor was, until lately, performed by the negroes, 
who carried the cascalho in gamellas on their 
heads, but Dr. Camara has formed two inclined 
planes about one hundred yards in length, along^ 
which carts are drawn by a large water-wheel, di- 
vided into two parts, the ladles or buckets of 




< 



WASHING FOR DIAMONDS. 



315 



which are so constructed that the rotatory motion 
may be altered by changing the current of water 
from one side to the other; this wheel, by means 
of a rope made of untanned hides, works two carts, 
one of which descends empty on one inclined plane, 
while the other, loaded with cascalho, is drawn to 
the top of the other inclined plane, where it falls into 
a cradle, empties itself, and descends in its turn. At 
a work, called Cangica, formerly of great import- 
ance, about a mile up the river on the opposite side, 
there are three cylindrical engines (wims ) for draw- 
ing the cascalho, like those used in the mining 
country of Derbyshire, and also rail-ways over 
some uneven ground. This was the first and 
only machinery of consequence which I saw in 
the Diamond District, and there appear many ob- 
stacles to the general introduction of it. Timber, 
when wanted of large size, has to be fetched a 
distance of one hundred miles at a very heavy ex- 
pense; there are few persons competent to the 
construction of machines, and the workmen dis- 
like to make them, fearing that this is only part of 
a general plan for superseding manual labor. 

The stratum of cascalho consists of the same 
materials with that in the gold district, On many 
parts, by the edge of the river, are large conglo- 
merated masses of rounded pebbles cemented by 
oxide of iron, which sometimes envelop gold and 
diamonds. They calculate on getting as much 
cascalho in the dry season as will occupy all their 
hands during the months which are more subject 



316 



WASHING FOR DIAMONDS. 



to rain. When carried from the bed of the river 
whence it is dug, it is laid in heaps containing 
apparently from five to fifteen tons each. 

Water is conveyed from a distance, and is dis- 
tributed to the various parts of the works by 
means of aqueducts, constructed with great in- 
genuity and skill. The method of washing for 
diamonds at this place is as follows: — A shed is 
erected in the form of a parallelogram, twenty-five 
or thirty yards long, and about fifteen wide, con- 
sisting of upright posts which support a roof 
thatched with long grass. Down the middle of 
the area of this shed a current of water is con- 
veyed through a canal covered with strong planks, 
on which the cascalho is laid two or three feet 
thick. On the other side of the area is a flooring 
of planks, from four to five yards long, embedded 
in clay, extending the whole length of the shed, 
and having a slope from the canal, of three or four 
inches to a yard. This flooring is divided into 
about twenty compartments or troughs, each 
about three feet wide, by means of planks placed 
on their edge. The upper ends of all these 
troughs (here called canoes) communicate with 
the canal, and are so formed that water is ad- 
mitted into them between two planks that are 
about an inch separate. Through this opening 
the current falls about six inches into the trough, 
and may be directed to any part of it, or stopped 
at pleasure by means of a small quantity of clay. 
For instance, sometimes water is required only 



r 




f 



OVERSjEERS. 317 

from one corner of the aperture, then the re- 
maining part is stopped ; sometimes it is wanted 
from the centre, then the extremes are stopped; 
and sometimes only a gentle rill is wanted, then 
the clay is applied accordingly. Along the lower 
ends of the troughs a small channel is dug to carry 
off the water. 

On the heap of cascalho, at equal distances, are 
placed three high chairs* for the officers or over- 
seers. After they are seated, the negroes f enter 
the troughs, each provided with a rake of a pecu- 
liar form and short handle, with which he rakes 
into the trough about fifty or eighty pounds weight 
of cascalho. The water being then let in upon it, 
the cascalho is spread abroad and continually 
raked up to the head of the trough, so as to be kept 
in constant motion. This operation is performed 
for the space of a quarter of an hour ; the water 
then begins to run clearer, having washed the 
earthy particles away, the gravel-like matter is 
raked up to the end of the trough ; after the cut- 
rent flows away quite clear, the largest stones are 
thrown out, and afterwards those of inferior size, 
then the whole is examined with great care for 

* In order to insure the vigilance of the overseers, these chairs are 
constructed without backs or any other support on which a person can 
recline. 

t The negroes employed in these works are the property of indivi-^ 
duals, who let them to hire at the daily rate of three vintens of gold, 
equal to about eight-pejce, Government supplying them with victuals. 
Every officer of the establishment is allowed the privilege of having a 
certain number of negroes employed. 



318 



TREATMENT OF NEGROES. 



diamonds*. When a negro finds one, he imme- 
diately stands upright and claps his hands, then 
extends them, holding the gem between his fore- 
finger and thumb; an overseer receives it from 
him, and deposits it in a gamella or bowl, sus- 
pended from the centre of the structure, half full 
of water. In this vessel all the diamonds found 
in the course of the day are placed, and at the 
close of the work are taken out and delivered to 
the principal officer, who, after they have been 
weighed, registers the particulars in a book kept 
for that purpose. 

When a negro is so fortunate as to find a dia- 
mond of the weight of an octavo (17 J carats), 
much ceremony takes place ; he is crowned with a 
wreath of flowers and carried in procession to the 
administrator, who gives him his freedom, by pay- 
ing his owner for it. He also receives a present of 
new clothes, and is permitted to work on his own 
account. When a stone of eight or ten carats is 
found, the negro receives two new shirts, a com- 
plete new suit, with a hat and a handsome knife. 
For smaller stones of trivial amount proportionate 
premiums are given. During my stay at Tejuco 
a stone of 16^ carats was found: it was pleasing 
to see the anxious desire manifested by the officers, 
that it might prove heavy enough to entitle the 

* The negroes are constantly attending to the cascalho from the very 
commencement of the washings, and frequently find diamonds before 
this last operation. 



FREEDOM WHEN GIVEN. 319 

poor jslegro to his freedom ; and when, on being 
delivered and weighed, it proved only a carat short 
of the requisite weight, all seemed to sympathize 
in his disappointment. 

Many precautions are taken to prevent the ne- 
groes from embezzling diamonds. Although they 
work in a bent position, and consequently never 
know whether the overseers are watching them or 
not, yet it is easy for them to omit gathering any 
which they see, and to place them in a corner of 
the trough for the purpose of secreting them at 
leisure hours, to prevent which they are frequent- 
ly changed while the operation is going on. A 
word of command being given by the overseers, 
they instantly move into each other's troughs, so 
that no opportunity of collusion can take place. 
If a negro be suspected of having swallowed a 
diamond, he is confined in a strong room until the 
fact can be ascertained. Formerly the punish- 
ment inflicted on a negro for smuggling diamonds 
was confiscation of his person to the state ; but it 
being thought too hard for the owner to suffer for 
the offence of his servant, the penalty has been 
commuted for personal imprisonment and chastise- 
ment. This is a much lighter punishment than that 
which their owners or any white man would suffer 
for a similar offence. 

There is no particular regulation respecting the 
dress of the negroes: they work in the clothes 
most suitable to the nature of their employment, 



320 WORKING PARTIES OF NEGROES. 

generally in a waistcoat and a pair of drawers, 
and not naked, as some travellers have stated. 
Their hours of labor are from a little before sun- 
rise until sun-set, half an hour being allowed for 
breakfast, and two hours at noon. While wash- 
ing they change their posture as often as they 
please, which is very necessary, as the work re- 
quires them to place their feet on the edges of the 
trough, and to stoop considerably. This posture 
is particularly prejudicial to young growing ne- 
groes, as it renders them in-kneed. Four or five 
times during the day they all rest, when snuff, of 
which they are very fond, is given to them. 

The $egr oes are formed into working parties, 
called troops, containing two hundred each, un- 
der the direction of an administrator and inferior 
officers. Each troop has a clergyman and a sur- 
geon to attend it. With respect to the subsistence 
of the negroes, although the present governor has 
in some degree improved it by allowing a daily 
portion of fresh beef, which was not allowed by 
his predecessors, yet I am sorry to observe that it 
is still poor and scanty : and in other respects they 
are more hardly dealt with than those of any other 
establishment which I visited: notwithstanding 
this, the owners are all anxious to get their negroes 
into the service, doubtless from sinister motives, 
of which more will be said hereafter. 

The officers are liberally paid, and live in a ™+ vie 
of considerable elegance, which a stranger would 



DIAMONDS. 



321 



not be led to expect in so remote a place. Our 
tables were daily covered with a profusion of ex- 
cellent viands, served up on fine Wedgewood ware, 
and the state of their household generally corres- 
ponded with this essential part of it. They were 
ever ready to assist me in my examination of the 
works, and freely gave me all the necessary infor- 
mation respecting them. 

Having detailed the process of washing for dia- 
monds, I proceed to a general description of the 
situations in which they are found. The flat pieces 
of ground on each side the river are equally rich 
throughout their extent, and hence the officers are 
enabled to calculate the value of an unworked 
place by comparison with the amount found on 
working in the part adjoining. These known 
places are left in reserve, and trial is made of more 
uncertain grounds. The following observation I 
often heard from the Intendant : " That piece of 
ground" (speaking of an unworked flat by the 
side of the river) " will yield me ten thousand ca- 
rats of diamonds whenever we shall be required 
to get them in the regular course of working, or 
when, on any particular occasion, an order from 
Government arrives, demanding an extraordinary 
and immediate supply." 

The substances accompanying diamonds, and 
considered good indications of them, are bright 
bean-like iron ore, a slaty flint-like substance, ap- 
proaching Lydian-stone, of fine texture, black 
oxide of iron in great quantities, rounded bits of 

Y 



322 



DIAMONDS. 



blue quartz, yellow crystal, and other materials 
entirely different from any thing known to be pro- 
duced in the adjacent mountains. Diamonds are 
by no means peculiar to the beds of rivers or deep 
ravines; they have been found in cavities and 
water-courses on the summits of the most lofty 
mountains. 

I had some conversation wkh the officers respect- 
ing the matrix of the diamond, not a vestige of 
which could I trace. They informed me that they 
often found diamonds cemented in pudding-stone, 
accompanied with grains of gold, but that they 
always broke them out, as they could not enter 
them in the treasury, or weigh them with matter 
adhering to them. I obtained a mass of pudding- 
stone, apparently of very recent formation, ce- 
mented by ferruginous matter enveloping grains 
of gold and diamonds ; likewise a few pounds of 
the cascalho in its unwashed state. 

This river, and other streams in its vicinity, 
have been in washing many years, and have pro- 
duced great quantities of diamonds, which have 
ever been reputed of the finest quality. They 
vary in size; some are so small that four or five 
are required to weigh one grain, consequently six- 
teen or twenty to the carat : there are seldom found 
more than two or three stones of from seventeen 
to twenty carats in the course of a year, and not 
once in two years is there found throughout the 
whole washings a stone of thirty carats. During 
the few days I was here they were not very sue- 



CASCALHO. 323 

cessful; the whole quantity found amounted only 
to forty, the largest of which was only four carats, 
and of a light green color. 

From the great quantity of debris, or worked 
cascalho, in every part near the river, it is reason- 
able to calculate that the works have been in ope- 
ration above forty years; of course there must ar- 
rive a period at which they will be exhausted, but 
there are grounds in the neighbourhood, particu- 
larly in the Cerro de St. Antonio, and in the coun- 
try now inhabited by the Indians, which will pro- 
bably afford these gems in equal abundance. 

After residing here five days, we visited a dia- 
mond work called Monteiro, about two miles up 
the river, and went a league further to a gold-work 
called Carrapato. The cascalho at this work was 
taken from a part of the river eight feet deep, 
which formed an eddy under a projecting point; 
I was shewn a heap of it, that was estimated to 
be worth <£ 10,000. In removing this heap from 
its bed, four hundred negroes had been employed 
three months; and to wash it, would occupy one 
hundred men for three months more, the expense 
of both operations amounting to perhaps ,£1,500. 
We arrived at this place at eight o'clock in the 
morning ; six Uegroes were employed four hours 
in washing two troughs, containing together about 
a ton of cascalho, when, to my great surprise, 
after the water ran clear, and the large stones 
were thrown out, the black oxide of iron, of which 
there was great abundance, was fringedwith grains 



324 



CARRAPATO. 



of gold, a novel and very agreeable sight to a 
stranger. The gold was taken out at three or four 
different times, and, when the washing was com- 
pleted, was dried over a fire and weighed: it 
amounted to nearly twenty ounces Troy. This is 
esteemed a very rich place, and such circumstances 
are of rare occurrence. The whole neighbour- 
hood is sterile, presenting the same characteristics 
as those before described. By proper cultivation 
the vallies might be rendered very productive ; but, 
as the troops of negroes and their officers are 
continually changing, no agricultural establish- 
ments are formed. 

This place probably derived its name from a 
most disagreeable insect, which infests the low 
brushwood in the neighbourhood. It is like a 
sheep-tick; and, on getting access to any part 
of the body, it fastens imperceptibly, buries its 
head under the skin, and draws blood until its 
body is swelled to the size of a bean. If forcibly 
removed, it leaves a very deep disagreeable hole, 
which is frequently difficult to heal. The best 
mode of getting rid of the animal is to anoint it 
with either laudanum or oil, and suffer it to remain 
until it dies, when it will drop off. 

In the afternoon we returned to Tejuco by an- 
other route more mountainous than that by which 
we had come. Crossing a deep ravine, formerly 
very rich in diamonds, we rode up a mountain full 
a mile on the ascent, and passed several rivulets, 
which I was informed had produced many fine 



TEJUCO. 



325 



stones. These, and in fact all the best situations 
in the district, had been in the possession of the 
smugglers, and were explored by those enterpris- 
ing men. In the course of our journey, I observ- 
ed that whenever a traveller or a negro was seen 
by any of our party at a distance from the road, a 
soldier was instantly dispatched to bring him to 
the officers, before whom he underwent an exami- 
nation. 

In the evening we arrived at Tejuco, where I 
was desirous of remaining a week to recruit my 
strength. Dr. Camara ordered my baggage to his 
house, whither I removed in compliance with his 
pressing invitation: he was kind enough to give 
me his library as my private room ; it was exten- 
sive and very select, consisting chiefly of English 
authors on science. Adjoining to it is a fine gar- 
den of nearly three acres in extent, planted chiefly 
with grass. It was formerly a gold-washing, and con- 
sequently presented a surface of only refuse stones; 
but the present proprietor levelled it, brought a 
little soil from various parts, and planted a pecu- 
liar variety of grass, which he keeps in cutting for 
his mules. This was the commencement of the 
fruit season; the peaches, with which the trees 
were loaded, were nearly ripe. The asparagus, 
and vegetables of every description, were very 
fine. The climate appeared to be mild and genial ; 
the thermometer was generally at 62 degrees at sun- 
rise, and at mid-clay, in a room rather exposed to 
the sun, rose tq 74 degrees. 



326 



TEJtJCO. 



Tejuco being situated in a sterile district, which 
produces nothing for the maintenance of its inha- 
bitants, in number about six thousand, depends, 
for a supply of provisions, on farms situated se- 
veral leagues distant. The bread of the country- 
was at this time extremely dear ; Indian corn, 
from which it is made, being from 5s. 6d. to 6s. 
the bushel; beans and other pulse in proportion. 
Beef was very indifferent, this being the dry sea- 
son; pork and poultry were rather plentiful. At 
no place do I recollect to have seen a greater pro- 
portion of indigent people, particularly of females. 
Full a hundred and fifty of these unhappy persons 
come weekly to receive portions of flour which the 
governor was pleased to allow them. They are to- 
tally without occupation, here being neither agri- 
culture nor manufactures to afford them any ; yet 
both these main supports of the population might 
be introduced, if a proper spirit of industry pre- 
vailed among the inhabitants. The land would, 
with little trouble, yield excellent crops, were any 
kind of inclosures made, which, it must be allow- 
ed, is an undertaking attended with some difficul- 
ties, yet not of such magnitude as to render it 
hopeless. With respect to manufactures, a most 
valuable material is at hand, as cotton from Minas 
Novas, distant only from sixty to one hundred 
miles, passes through this place to the capital. 

Yet, notwithstanding the idleness of the inha- 
bitants, Tejuco may be called florishing, on ac- 
count of the circulation of property created by 



tejuco. 327 

the diamond works. The annual sum paid by Go- 
vernment for the hire of negroes, salaries of offi- 
cers, and various necessaries, such as nitre and 
iron, does not amount to less than <£3 5,000. and 
this, added to the demands of the inhabitants of 
the town and its vicinity, occasions a considerable 
trade. The shops are stocked with English cot- 
tons, baizes, and cloths, and other manufactured 
goods; also hams, cheese, butter, porter, and 
other articles of consumption. Mules from Bahia 
and Rio de J aneiro came loaded with them. Great 
complaints were made among the shopkeepers of 
the bad quality of the cotton goods, and of their 
losing their colors in washing. Some of the prin- 
cipal inhabitants exclaimed against the introduc- 
tion of foreign luxuries, and rather wished that 
their trade with England should furnish them the 
means of working their iron mines, and enable 
them to defend themselves. 

Tejuco, owing to its situation by the side of a 
hill, is very irregularly built; its streets are un- 
even, but the houses in general are w T ell construct- 
ed and in good condition, compared with those of 
other towns in the interior. Its name, which, in 
the Portuguese language, signifies a muddy place, 
is derived from places of that description in its 
neighbourhood, which are rendered passable by 
being covered with large pieces of wood. 

Through the kind care and attention of Dr. Ca- 
mara and his excellent family, my health was in 
part re-established, and I was enabled to ride out 



328 



TEJUCO. 



daily, occupying myself in seeing all I could, and 
gaining the best information, in which I was as- 
sisted by my worthy host and all his friends. Our 
evenings were passed in a most agreeable manner, 
among the parties which regularly assembled at 
the Intendant's house, consisting of some of the 
principal inhabitants of the town. In these par- 
ties the gentlemen engage at whist, and the ladies 
take tea and play round games, or enter into con- 
versation on the passing occurrences of the day. 
In no part of Brazil did I meet with society so 
select and agreeable ; this may certainly be called 
the court of the mining district. In their manners 
there was no ceremonious reserve or courtly re- 
finement, but their whole demeanour was genteel 
and well-bred, enlivened by an ease and good hu- 
mor which the affability of the chief and his ami- 
able lady and daughters ever tended to promote. 
The company all dressed after the English mode, 
and in dresses of English manufacture : the gen- 
tlemen were almost all men of title, distinguished 
with stars, yet the constellation which they formed, 
was far inferior in brilliancy and elegance to that of 
the ladies. 

I was invited to pay a visit to the treasury, 
which can only be viewed when a meeting of officers 
is called, as the treasure is kept in chests, under 
three distinct locks, the keys of which are en- 
trusted to three several officers, who are all re- 
quired to be present at the opening. They here 
showed me the diamonds taken from the tropeiro 



TREASURY. 329 

at Concei^o, which were in general much better 
than those from the mines worked by Government. 
One about eleven carats was a very fine stone, 
perfectly crystallized, in the form of an octahedron. 
The unfortunate man from whom they were taken, 
I was informed, was very ill in prison. I was 
then shown about eight hundred caratSy&found in 
the regular course of washing; they were in ge- 
neral very small, not one exceeding five carats. I 
observed several round and many inferior ones co- 
lored. Those with a dark green hue and rough 
exterior, were, they informed me, when cut,^ of 
the purest water, and from Rio Pardo. 

Here the diamonds found in the district are de- 
posited monthly, as they are received from the 
different works. They are carefully weighed, and 
some selected and kept separate. The average 
quantity obtained may be estimated at from 20,000 
to 25,000 carats annually, which are sent under a 
military escort to Rio, and there lodged in the 
treasury. 

The diamonds are tied up in black silk bags, 
and deposited in elegant inner cabinets, the whole 
of which are locked up in strong chests bound 
with iron. 

They then showed me the gold, which was in 
large bars, weighing from five to ten pounds each, 
the whole of which I estimated at full 150lbs. 
weight. It was found in the district of Cerro do 
Frio, and was reserved to pay part of the ex- 
penses attending the establishment. 



330 



CHAP AD A. 



An excursion was some days afterwards pro- 
posed to another diamond work, called Rio 
Pardo, distant about twenty miles in a north- 
west direction. After proceeding a third of the 
way, over a country covered with a poor wiry 
sort of grass, we passed several fine falls of water, 
and crossed a ridge of mountains. The land as 
we advanced appeared much better, though still 
very naked, having only a few poor crooked small 
trees, that rather increased than took, from its de- 
solate appearance. 

We passed through Chapada, a little dirty vil- 
lage, once famous for its washings, as were all 
the streams and ravines in the vicinity, and pro- 
ceeded over some good clay-land, and a consider- 
able tract of peat-moss, well watered by streams 
which burst in all directions from the hills. The 
country was open, and had a most romantic ap- 
pearance, caused by a quantity of low rocks of 
soft pudding-stone, laminated, which lay on the sur- 
face in the most irregular forms. These lands were 
well calculated for pasturage, particularly in the 
season of abundance, but I was told that the 
cattle put to graze upon them were frequently 
stolen by the negroes*, and that there were many 
noxious plants in the herbage which proved fatal 
to the beasts that ate them. 

We arrived at the houses of the establishment 
about eleven in the forenoon, and walked four 

* Frcbably fugitive negroes, who subsist in this remote district by 
plunder and smuggling. 



RIO PARDO. 



331 



miles farther to the diamond works, on which a 
full troop of negroes was then employed. Rio 
Pardo is a dirty paltry-looking rivulet, which runs 
into the Rio Velho : in some parts it is confined 
by shelving rocks of quartz, through which it runs 
rapidly; in others it takes a serpentine course, 
and forms eddies, which are called caldrones, on 
account of their resemblance to the cavity of a boiler. 
The bed of the river, though confined, has a stratum 
of cascalho of variable thickness, which, after the 
current has been diverted, is dug up, and washed 
in the same way as at Jiquitinhonha. The cal- 
drones, or holes, formerly eddies, but now partly 
filled with cascalho, so as to be no more than three 
or four feet deep, are frequently found to contain 
many diamonds ; one of them, which was cleared 
by four men in as many days, produced one hun- 
dred and eighty carats. 

Rio Pardo, though paltry and insignificant in 
its appearance, has produced as large a quantity 
of the most precious gems as any river in the 
district. The rough blueish-green-colored dia- 
monds, formerly so much esteemed by the Hol- 
landers, continue to be found here, and the stones 
of this rivulet are to this day reputed the most va- 
luable in Brazil. The accompanying substances are 
somewhat different from those of the washings at 
Mandanga; here is no bean-like iron ore, but a con- 
siderable quantity of flinty-slate, like Lydian-stone, 
in various shapes and sizes, and very small black 
oxide of iron ; the earthy matter is also much 



332 RIO VELHO. 

finer than at the above place. I was informed 
that there remained as much unworked ground 
as would occupy a hundred negroes full twenty 
years. 

Rio Pardo runs about a league to the westward 
of Capella Velha, which is a chapel on a moun- 
tain, washed at its base by a stream, called Corgo 
de Capella Velha, which some years ago was 
worked, and produced diamonds of great size and 
superior brilliancy. The rivulets to the eastward 
of this ridge of mountains run into the Jiquitin- 
honha; those to the westward have their course 
into the Rio Velho, which flows into the Rio 
de San Francisco. The height of the moun- 
tains I had no means of ascertaining, but they 
are considered as undoubtedly the highest in 
Brazil. The air in this elevated region is pure 
and rather keen ; the thermometer in the morn- 
ings and evenings stood at 62, and at mid-day about 
74. In all the parts which I visited, the land ap- 
peared favorable for the growth of almost every 
species of produce, and, if properly inclosed and 
cultivated, might in no long time become the 
granary of the district. 

On our return to Tejuco I was shown several 
dwarfish trees, of the height and size of a common 
crab-tree, with extremely crooked branches ; and 
was informed that they were a species of the 
quercus suber. I cut from them some pieces of 
bark about an inch in thickness, which were elas- 
tic, and actually proved to be cork. It seemed 
to me a question of considerable interest, whether 



BARLEY AT TEJUCO. 333 

these trees, if regularly planted and attended to, 
might not produce cork of as good a quality as 
that which we obtain from the Mediterranean. 

After resting a few days, I accompanied the In- 
tendant to a small diamond work, called Corolina, 
and returned the same day. This work some 
years ago produced many good stones, but at pre- 
sent it employs very few people. The mode of 
washing is exactly the same with that practised at 
Mandanga. 

At Tejuco some tolerably good barley was 
shown to me ; it was not so heavy as that of our 
best from Norfolk, and was but little known. 
The Intendant uses it as provender for his mules 
whenever he can obtain it. On examining the 
sample, I could not but reflect that, if land so ill- 
managed produced such barley, how much supe- 
rior would be the quality of the grain under good 
management. 

At a subsequent period of my visit, the Intend- 
ant, with whom malt-liquor is a favorite beverage, 
expressed a desire to see some of the barley 
converted into malt, in order to brew beer, and, 
after repeated solicitations, I undertook to make 
the experiment. A quantity was procured 
which I endeavoured to prepare in the best man- 
ner that circumstances would allow. Having 
steeped it the requisite time, I put it on a cold 
floor, and managed it as is customary in our malt- 
houses ; when it had germinated sufficiently, I 
dried it over a slow fire; afterwards, having 



334 



BARLEY. 



cleansed it from the combs by rubbing, I crushed 
it, and finally mashed it. The infusion produced 
a tolerable wort, which, however, I did not deem 
sufficiently good, as it wanted saccharine matter : 
this deficiency I supplied by the admixture of a 
small quantity of sugar. It was then boiled until 
it was judged of a proper consistency, and a very 
pleasant bitter was added instead of hops. The 
fermentation I endeavoured to promote with lea- 
ven, which had been prepared a few days before, 
and, when that process had terminated, the liquor 
was put into small casks, which we stopped close. 
Though it might not prove good from the hasty 
manner in which the process was conducted, yet 
the mode of preparing it was exemplified, which 
was the main purpose of the experiment. It ap- 
peared to me by no means impossible either to 
make malt or to brew beer, if proper places were 
made under-ground, so as to ensure a moderate 
degree of cold for the operation of malting, and 
for the subsequent process. Sugar is here so 
abundant, that any quantity of saccharine matter 
might be added to improve the poorness of the 
malt ; and it is highly probable that a very plea- 
sant beverage might be made, which would re- 
lieve the inhabitants of this remote district from 
the necessity of having recourse to the metropolis 
for bad wines, and from the ill effects which 
proceed from drinking bad spirits distilled in the 
vicinity. 

Many parts of this fine country abound in 



ENGORDA CAVALLOS. 



335 



oranges, pines, peaches, guavas, and a great 
variety of indigenous fruits, both sweet and acid, 
particularly the jaboticaba, which is very rich in 
mucilaginous matter ; yet no attempt has hitherto 
been made to obtain wine from any of them. 
Ginger and pepper grow here spontaneously, 
and many spices might probably be cultivated 
with success. 

Grass for cattle was as dear at Tejuco as at 
Rio de Janeiro, and the small quantity which cost 
eight-pence would scarcely suffice a mule a day. 
The Intendant and the Captain of the cavalry 
had each of them about two acres under cultiva- 
tion, of a species called Engorda Cavallos (fat- 
tener of horses), which grew from five to seven 
feet high, with a thick esculent stem, and long 
lancet-shaped leaves. It has a large fibrous root, 
and is well-calculated for stony ground where 
there is little earth ; it even grew among rounded 
stones that had been washed three years be- 
fore*. 

The Intendant, who had a taste for rural eco- 
nomy, and more particularly his lady, were very 
anxious to make their own butter and cheese, and 
expressed a great desire to be instructed in the 

* It was then in seed, of which I collected a small quantity; since, 
nay return, I have sent part of it to the Agricultural Society, and the 
remainder I have distributed among gentlemen who endeavoured to 
promote its growth in this country, but without effect. It is rather a 
hardy grass, as it grew in situations which were all so cold, that the 
bananas and coffees were frequently blighted. 



336 



DAIRY. 



process as practised in England, though milk was 
very scarce; and it was not without much diffi- 
culty that, after sending a few miles, about three 
gallons were collected. In the mean time such 
household utensils as were most fit for the pur- 
pose, having been made ready, and others pro- 
cured, very excellent butter was produced, and 
afterwards a few cheeses were made, which there 
was every reason to suppose would prove good. 
The lady interested herself greatly in the experi- 
ment, not only performing part of the operations* 
with the assistance of her daughter, but inviting 
several of her friends in the town to see with what 
little trouble the processes were performed, and 
distributing the products among themf : — a rare 
example of industry! I am decidedly of opinion, 
that, were the females of Brazil better educated, 
especially in whatever relates to domestic eco- 
nomy, and were they accustomed to seethe con- 
cerns of a household conducted with regularity 
and order, they would be better members of 
society; for I have ever observed in them that 
inquisitive disposition and desire of information, 
which may be called the first step to improve- 
ment. But what can be expected from ill-edu- 
cated females, reared from their infancy among 
negras, in miserable houses, scarcely affording a, 

f The ladies particularly wished to have the cheese of a fine color, 
like that sent thither from England ; and I was at no loss for an ingre- 
dient for tinging the milk, as the tree, which produces the seed from 
w hich annatto is made, grew spontaneously in the neighbourhood. 



MINAS NOVAS. 337 

shelter from the rain, or a shade from the sun, and 
destitute of every ray of comfort ! 

In 1815, some iron works were established at 
the Morro de Pilar, a mountain rich in ore, about 
twenty-five leagues south of Tejuco, on the road 
to Villa Rica, The Observador Portuguese ', 
vol. xvii. p. 143, contains an interesting account 
of the festivities which took place when the first 
sample of iron was brought from thence to the 
capital of the Diamond District. 



CHAP. XIV. 

Some Account of the Districts of Minus Novas 

and Paracatu Of the^large Diamond found 

in the River Abaiti, 

IT was my intention to have continued my jour- 
ney to Minas Novas, and from thence westward 
to Paracatu, and to have returned by Abaiti, a 
place that has produced many large diamonds, 
though generally of inferior quality. This design 
I was prevented from accomplishing by illness, 
being attacked with a violent scietic complaint, 
accompanied with great debility in the right side, 
which obliged me to return as soon as possible, 
z 



338 



iVUNAS NOVAS. 



While I remained at Tejuco, for the purpose of 
regaining strength sufficient to encounter the fa- 
tigues of a journey back to the capital, I em- 
ployed myself in collecting information respecting 
these districts from intelligent persons who re- 
sided there, as well as from officers on the esta- 
blishment. The following brief description is the 
result of the communications with which they 
favored me. 

The principal village in Minas Novas, called 
Tocaya, is thirty-five leagues distant from Tejuco, 
in a north-easterly direction. The road thither i>s 
parallel with the river Jiquitinhonha, which runs 
from two to five leagues westward of it*. Nu- 
merous rivulets flow into it in this direction, in 
some of which are found white topazes, more 
commonly known here by the name of minus novas. 
They are pretty pellucid pebbles, generally round- 
ed, though sometimes they occur perfectly crys- 
tallized, in the same form as the yellow topaz. 
Blue topazes and aqua-marinas are also found 
here ; some of the former are of a singular variety, 
being in one part blue, and in the other clear and 
pellucid. This neighbourhood is also noted for 
producing the beautiful Chrysoberyl, which is 
much esteemed by the higher orders of society in 
Brazil, and in great request among the jewellers 
of Rio de Janeiro. These gems rarely occur 

* On the road there are numerous farm houses, which afford suf- 
ficient accommodation for a traveller. They in general belong to per- 
sons resident in Tejuco, where their produce is sold. 



MINAS NOVAS. 



339 



crystallized; they sell at considerable prices in 
their rough state, and are much more valued in 
America than in England, where, indeed, they 
are little known, or they would be more highly 
appreciated, being, when polished, of great bril- 
liancy and exquisite beauty. 

To the westward of the river Jiquitinhonha, 
and opposite the village of Bom Successo, is the 
Cerro of Santo Antonio, a place much famed for 
diamonds, which are said to be of an indifferent 
quality. There are, also, other parts, well known 
to many of the inhabitants of the district as being 
rich in these treasures. 

The country is very fertile, and produces a 
great variety of the finest woods for cabinet- 
works; also numerous fruits, and most exquisite 
Vanilla, which grows spontaneously. The land, 
being less elevated * than Cerro do Frio, is said 
to be much warmer, and is highly favorable to the 
growth of sugar and coffee. The plantations are 
chiefly of cotton, which is reputed to be equal in 
color and quality to that of Maranham. It is trans- 
ported to Rio de Janeiro on mules, and many 
hundreds of those useful animals are continually 

* In some of the low swampy tracts large serpents are not uncom- 
mon. At Tejuco I was shown the skin of a young one, of the Boa 
Constrictor genus. It was twenty-four feet in length, and about 
twenty inches in circumference. These formidable reptiles have been 
killed forty feet long! the strength of such a serpent is not easily to be 
imagined; they have an undulating motion, and carry their head erect 
four or five feet from the ground ; their jaws, &c. are capable of in- 
conceivable dilatation. 



340 MINAS NOVAS. 

employed in this commerce. A troop of loaded 
mules are full three months, and sometimes four, 
in going, and the same time in returning. These 
animals in this district are double the price that 
they are in S. Paulo. The journeys are attended 
with considerable expense and difficulty ; Indian 
corn must be daily bought for their use; and, not- 
withstanding the great attention paid to them on 
the road, many die, and others are frequently 
lamed and disabled. Their burdens are divided 
into two equal parts, and suspended on a pack- 
saddle of peculiar make by straps of raw hide. 
The average burden is nine arrobas, nearly equal 
to three hundred pounds weight, the carriage-ex- 
pense of which, from Rio de Janeiro to Minas 
Novas, is six or seven pounds sterling ; to Tejuco 
five pounds ; to Villa Rica about three. 

The trade to Minas Novas from Rio de Janeiro 
consists principally in negroes, iron, salt, wool- 
lens, hats, printed cottons, hardware, arms, and 
some fancy articles, a little wine and oil, salt-fish, 
and butter. Few luxuries enter these remote 
parts, the inhabitants seeking for little beyond 
mere necessaries. 

Minas Novas is under the jurisdiction of the 
Otwidor of Villa do Principe, who goes thither 
once a year to settle disputes, administer justice, 
and discharge other duties belonging to his 
office. 

At Tocaya the Jiquitinhonha flows into a larger 
river, called Rio Grande, which, taking an easterly 



PORTO SEGURO. 



341 



direction, enters the sea in lat. 16° 20' south, near 
Porto Seguro. A gentleman with whom I was 
acquainted undertook to navigate this fine river 
from Tocaya to the sea, and, as the current was 
rapid, he performed the task in six days. On his 
return, which occupied fifteen days, he observed 
several tributary rivers, the sources of which 
are unknown, as they rise in the country inha- 
bited by the Indians. The river being free from 
falls, may in a short time be frequented by vessels 
from sea, for I did not learn that its entrance 
was shallow or unfit for navigation ; probably the 
land about it is low and marshy, which may be 
the reason that it is so little known. 

It cannot be too much recommended to the 
Government of Brazil, immediately to order a 
survey of this river, which might be performed 
in one of their launches in two months at little 
or no expense, and, were it found necessary, a 
chain of connection might be established from its 
mouth to Tocaya. The benefits resulting to the 
inhabitants from opening the navigation may be 
easily conceived. The produce of the country, its 
cotton, coffee, and sugar, its rich cabinet-woods, 
and many other valuable articles, would be brought 
into active commerce ; extensive plantations would 
be established, and the whole territory would be 
improved. It is true that the commerce of the 
district would flow through another channel, and 
the tolls paid on passing the Paraibuna, to and 
from the capital, would be a little diminished: 



342 



MINAS NOVAS* 



but surely the policy of Government is not so con- 
fined as to allow that consideration to have any 
weight against a measure of such national im- 
portance, when it is obvious that one of the greatest 
disadvantages under which the empire of Brazil 
labors, is the want of traffic on all its rivers, ex- 
cept to Rio Grande de St. Pedro. 

The population of Minas Novas is thin, com- 
pared with its extent, but is daily increasing. It 
does not appear that mining is the object which 
attracts settlers, though there is a considerable 
quantity of precious stones exported, which are 
found only here, as has been before observed. 

Where the rivers are deep it is very difficult to 
raise the cascalho from their beds, in order to 
wash it for gold, &c. for this purpose various 
trivial and ineffectual methods are practised : it 
would be highly conducive to the interest of the 
proprietor, as well as of the state, to have rafts 
or boats constructed, and to adopt the ma- 
chinery used by the ballast-heavers on the river 
Thames*, by means of which the cascalho might 
be raised, even from a depth of twenty feet. 
The requisite iron-work might be prepared in 
Rio de Janeiro, (if necessary,) and admitted into 
the mining country, free of duty: there would pro- 
bably be such an increase of gold obtained by it, 
that the proportionate augmentation of the royal 

* Since my return, His Excellency the Conde de Funchall, ordered 
a tnodel of a ballast-lighter, which I got constructed for him, and 
which will one day or other he found extremely useful. 



PARACATU. 343 

fifths would amply repay the expense of intro- 
ducing the improvement. 

Paracatu is the principal village or town of a 
district of the same name, which lies about nine- 
ty leagues north-west of Tejuco, bordering on the 
Capitania of Goyazes, from which it is separated 
by a chain of high mountains that take a northerly 
direction. The numerous rivers which rise on the 
eastern side of the mountains, and flow into the 
great river S. Francisco, are rich in gold. The 
population of the village is estimated at above a 
thousand souls, and will shortly be more numer^ v 
ous, as the reputed richness of some late discove- 
ries has tempted many families to migrate thither. 
It has all the advantages of a high and healthy 
situation, in the midst of a most fertile country^ 
and has considerable intercourse with Sahara and 
Villa Rica, where the gold procured in its vici* 
nity is permuted. It is governed by a Capitao 
Mor, who is subordinate to the governor of the 
latter place, to whom all disputes of consequence 
are referred. To the southward is the rich clesta- 
camento of Rio da Prata, a river that yields fine 
diamonds, and has been much frequented by many 
adventurers, who, when discovered and seized, are 
called grimpeiros (smugglers). A strong guard 
of soldiers is stationed here to prevent the pre- 
cious stones from being sought for clandestinely. 

A few leagues to the north of the Rio Prata is 
the rivulet named Abaite, celebrated for having 
produced the largest diamond in the Prince's pos- 



344 



ABAITE. 



session, which was found about twelve years ago. 
Though this circumstance has been already briefly 
stated, it may be allowed me in this place to relate 
the particulars as they were detailed to me during 
my stay at Tejuco. Three intelligent men, having 
been found guilty of high crimes, were banished into 
the interior, and ordered not to approach any of 
the capital towns, or to remain in civilized society, 
on pain of perpetual imprisonment. Driven by this 
hard sentence into the most unfrequented part of 
the country, they endeavoured to explore new mines 
or new productions, in the hope that, sooner or 
later, they might have the good fortune to make 
some important discovery, which would obtain a 
reversal of their sentence, and enable them to re- 
gain their station in society. They wandered about 
in this neighbourhood, making frequent searches 
in its various rivers for more than six years, dur- 
ing which time they were exposed to a double 
risk, being continually liable to become the prey 
of the Anthropophagi, and in no less danger of 
being seized by the soldiers of Government. At 
length they by hazard made some trials in the river 
Abaite, at a time when its waters were so low, 
in consequence of a long season of drought, that 
a part of its bed was left exposed. Here, while 
searching and washing for gold, they had the good 
fortune to find a diamond nearly an ounce in 
weight. Elated by this providential discovery, 
which at first they could scarcely believe to be 
real, yet, hesitating between a dread of the rigo- 



ABAITE. 



345 



tous laws relating to diamonds, and a hope of re- 
gaining their liberty, they consulted a clergyman, 
who advised them to trust to the mercy of the 
state, and accompanied them to Villa Rica, where 
he procured them access to the governor. They 
threw themselves at his feet, and delivered to him 
the invaluable gem on which their hopes rested, 
relating all the circumstances connected with it. 
The governor, astonished at its magnitude, could 
not trust the evidence of his senses, but called the 
officers of the establishment to decide whether it 
was a diamond, who set the matter beyond all 
doubt. Eeing thus, by the most strange and un- 
foreseen accident, put in possession of the largest 
diamond ever found in America, he thought pro- 
per to suspend the sentence of the men as a re- 
ward for their having delivered it to him. The 
gem was sent to Rio de Janeiro, from whence a 
frigate was dispatched with it to Lisbon, whither 
the holy father was also sent to make the proper 
representations respecting it. The sovereign con- 
firmed the pardon of the delinquents, and bestow- 
ed some preferment on the worthy sacerdote. 

The governor immediately ordered a guard on the 
river, which was soon afterwards worked under the 
direction of the Intendant of Cerro do Frio, who 
sent thither an administrator and two hundred ne- 
groes. It has since been worked at different pe- 
riods with various success; sometimes large dia- 
mond's have been found, but of an indifferent qua- 
lity. The work, being considered unprofitable, is 



346 



ABAITE. 



now abandoned by Government, but it yet gives 
occupation to numbers of adventurers. Its neigh- 
bourhood has many interesting places, hitherto but 
little explored. 

A few leagues from this river is a very rich 
vein of lead ore in calcareous spar. I have seen 
pieces of it of the weight of twenty pounds, and 
it is said to be so abundant, that any quantity may 
be obtained. Some of the specimens presented to 
me were covered with carbonate of lead. It has 
not the appearance of beingrich in silver. No one 
has undertaken to work it, as the difficulty and 
expense of conveying the metal to Rio de Janeiro, 
would exceed the price at which it would sell for 
at present in that market*. When the neighbour- 
hood becomes more populous, and the value of this 
useful metal is better known, the mine will pro- 
bably be a source of riches ; for lead ore is certainly 
scarce in Brazil, nor did I hear of any other place 
which produces it. 

The river St. Francisco is very considerable, 
and is said to contain great quantities of fishf, 
which is a sufficient proof that there are but few 
(if any) gold-washings in it. On the banks, and in 
the country to the eastward, great numbers of cattle 
are bred, which are sold in all the populous towns 
of the captaincy, and large herds are sent to Rio 

* It may become useful at Villa Rica; but the quantity required 
there at present is so trivial as scarcely to merit attention. 

t If salt were cheaper they might be cured, and would become an 
article of commerce, particularly during Lent. 



ST. FRANCISCO. 



347 



de Janeiro, a distance of above six hundred miles. 
A considerable commerce is carried on with them, 
and some families, who raise large numbers, are 
reported to have acquired great fortunes by it. 
The want of salt is a very general complaint ; it is 
requisite for the cattle, nor will they breed well 
without it. 

This district is too far distant from a sea-port 
to enjoy any extent of commerce in the general 
articles of its produce. Gold and precious stones 
are easily transported, but lead, and other com- 
modities of greater bulk and inferior value, would 
scarcely pay the expense of carriage. Hence no 
cotton, coffee, or sugar is grown for exportation, 
and the quantity consumed in the district is very 
limited, owing to the small number of the inhabit- 
ants, and the miserable indigence in which they 
generally live, their common diet being Indian 
corn-flour, boiled beans, and a little pork. The 
trade to Rio de Janeiro is much similar to that of 
Minas Novas, and consists chiefly in iron, salt, 
cotton-prints, woollens, arms, hardware, and a few 
trivial luxuries i also hats and India goods. Per- 
sons of all ranks are eager to purchase negroes. 
The only articles sent to Villa Rica are gold-dust 
and hides. 

In this district, and in other parts of these im- 
mense territories, particularly to the eastward, are 
large tracts of land devoluto, or not occupied by 
any person under a grant from government. 
These lands to a considerable extent (half a 



348 



ST. FRANCISCO. 



league to a league square) may be taken by 
making proper application, and afterwards held 
as freehold. Other excellent situations are in the 
possession of in digent people, who are equally inca- 
pable and unwilling to reap advantage from them. 
These may be bought very cheap, and are cer- 
tainly preferable to the unoccupied tracts, as they 
have generally some few conveniences attached to 
them, and may, therefore, more easily be brought 
into a proper state of cultivation. Here is every 
inducement for a spirited and experienced agricul- 
turist to settle : a rich and fertile district, in which 
there remains much to be discovered in every de- 
partment, where all the necessaries, and many of 
the luxuries of life are produced almost sponta- 
neously; and where the exertions of industry 
would be rewarded in a tenfold degree by the 
bounteous hand of nature, and stimulated by the 
certain hope of arousing a slender population 
to follow the example. Nor could there be any 
objection on the score of differences in opinion; 
for I am persuaded that no one would here be mo- 
lested for his religious tenets, while he prudently 
avoided giving offence, and paid the same regard 
to the conscience of his neighbour which he ex- 
pected for his own. 



CHAP. XV, 



Observations on Tejuco and Cerro do Frio, 

IN the foregoing pages I have endeavoured to pre- 
sent to the reader a narrative of whatever I ob- 
served worthy of note in the Diamond District, 
and have related the several particulars in the or- 
der in which they occurred to me, reserving the 
task of general description for that period of my 
residence there when I might be supposed best 
qualified to perform it. This mode of proceeding 
will expose me to the risk of a few repetitions, for 
which my apology must rest on the peculiar cir- 
cumstances under which I visited Tejuco^ — on 
the continual journeys in which I was occupied 
from the moment of my arrival to the time when 
I was attacked by illness, and which left me no 
leisure for combining my actual observations with 
general views of the country. 

The district of Cerro do Frio consists of rug- 
ged mountains, that have a northerly and south- 
erly direction, and are generally allowed to be the 
highest in Brazil. What is termed the Diamond 
ground, extends about sixteen leagues from north 
to south, and about eight from east to west. It 
was first explored by some enterprising miners 
from Villa do Principe, a few years after the es- 
tablishment of that town. These men proceeding 



350 CERKO DO FRIO. 

northerly found an open country, watered by manjr 
small rivulets, which they tried for gold by wash- 
ing: some of them engaged their attention for 
a short time, but not proving sufficiently rich, 
they continued their route, passing the places now 
called San Goncalo and Milho Verde, until they 
arrived at a few streams that flow from the base of 
the mountain on which Tejuco is built. These 
rivulets were then washed for gold, and were con- 
sidered as belonging to the district of Villa do 
Principe. No idea was at first entertained that 
the rivulets contained diamonds, although it is said 
that some were collected and presented to the then 
governor of Villa do Principe as curious bright 
stones, and were used by him as counters at cards. 
Soon afterwards a few of them found their way to 
Lisbon, and were given as pretty pebbles to the 
Dutch minister to send to Holland, which was 
then the principal mart in Europe for precious 
stones. The lapidaries, to whom they were pre- 
sented for examination, pronounced these pebbles 
to be very fine diamonds. Information was accord- 
ingly sent to the Dutch consul at Lisbon, who did 
not fail to profit by the occasion ; for he managed 
the affair with Government so well, that he con- 
tracted for the precious stones, at the same time 
that he communicated the intelligence. Govern- 
ment afterwards endeavoured to monopolize the 
diamonds, and made a distinct district of Cerro 
do Frio, placing it under peculiar laws and regu- 
lations. 



CERXIO DO FRIO. 351 

The number of diamonds sent over during the 
first twenty years after the discovery is said to be 
almost incredible, and to exceed one thousand 
ounces in weight. This supply could not fail to 
diminish the general value of diamonds, as none 
had ever before been known to come from any 
other part of the globe, except India, whither the 
Brazilian diamonds were afterwards sent, and 
found a better market there than in Europe. 

By stratagems and intrigues Government was 
prevailed on to let these invaluable territories to a 
company, who were under stipulations to work 
with a limited number of negroes, or to pay a cer- 
tain sum per day for every negro employed. This 
opened a door to every species of fraud; double 
the stipulated number of negroes was admitted; 
and this imposition was connived at by the agents 
of Government, who received pay in one hand 
and bribes in the other. Presents were made to 
men possessing influence at court, by the contract- 
ors, who soon became rich; and they continued 
(subject to a few regulations) in possession of the 
diamond mines until about the year 1772, when, 
Government determining to take them into their 
own hands, these contracts were ended. 

This was the time for reforming abuses, and for 
placing this rich district under the best regulations, 
but it was neglected ; prej udice prevailed over 
prudence; and the management was entrusted to 
men who did not understand the real interests of 
the concern, or, what is more probable, who were 



352 



CERRO DO FRIO. 



so shackled in their authority, that they could not 
pursue them. From this time, affairs became 
worse, and the establishment was in debt to fo- 
reigners, who had advanced a considerable sum 
of money on the security of having all the dia- 
monds which the mines produced. There were 
other incumbrances, which can be removed only 
by a total change of system. In its present 
state the establishment appears to produce much 
greater wealth than it actually does. During 
a period of five years, from 1801 to 1806 in- 
clusive, the expenses were ,£204,000; and the 
diamonds sent to the treasury at Rio de Janeiro 
weighed 115,675 carats. The value of gold found 
in the same period amounted to £17,300. sterling, 
from which it appears that the diamonds actually 
cost Government thirty-three shillings and nine- 
pence per carat. These years were esteemed sin- 
gularly productive ; the mines do not in general 
yield to Government more than 20,000 carats an- 
nually*. 

The town is under the absolute government of 
the Intendant. The principal officers of the civil 
and military establishments are, an ouvidor or fis- 
cal, a captain of cavalry, and a capitao mor. In 
the Diamond establishment there is a great num- 
ber of officers, of whom the following are the 
principal: 1st, the Intendant, who is a judge, and 
intendant-general of the Diamond district (this 

* Exclusive of this amount there is a vast quantity smuggled,. 



DIAMOND MINES. 



353 



office is one of the best in the gift of the crown) : 
2d. the Treasurer, whose situation is almost a si- 
necure; he receives 8,000 crusades per annum: 
and 3d. the Administrator-general, who has a sa- 
lary of 6000. The book-keeper has 4,000 ; and 
three clerks, or key-keepers, have from 800 to 
1,000 each. These officers are employed in what- 
ever relates to the treasury, or to the general con- 
cerns of the establishment ; they all reside in Te- 
juco, and are the most respectable of the inhabit- 
ants. The. management of the different works is 
entrusted to eight or ten under-administrators, each 
having* in his care two hundred negroes, called a 
troop; to whirvh, besides a clergyman and a sur- 
geon, are attached several overseers and subordi- 
nate officers, who have salaries a£ from 400 to 
200 crusades. The privilege of employing a cer- 
tain number of iu jroes in the works is common 
to all the officers, to an extent corresponding with 
their rank; the superior officers let to hire as many 
as they please, say forty, and sometimes upwards 
of fifty; the inferior officers are permitted to let 
out two or three, in preference to other indivi- 
duals ; a decidedly bad practice, as will be shown 
hereafter. 

The Intendant holds a place of great trust : he 
is the superior magistrate, and his duty is to ad- 
minister justice, and to see that the laws peculiar 
to the district are duly executed. He is of course 
president of the assembly, or juncta, and calls 
meetings whenever he thinks proper; he disposes 



354 DIAMOND MINES. 

of the military force of the district, orders roads 
to be made or stopped, and stations guards on them 
to examine travellers, and to detain suspicious per- 
sons. He has also the privilege of giving or refus- 
ing permission for persons to enter the district, or 
settle in it; and every one, however high in rank 
and property, who passes thither is supposed to 
have the Intendant's express concurrence, which, 
as a matter of form, is sometimes dispensed with. 
He appoints officers, signs all papers, receives all 
reports that are made, and acts accordingly. To 
him solely the treasury is entrusted for the pay- 
ment of the salaries of the officers, the negroes' 
wages, tradesmen's bills, and every incidental ex- 
pense attending the establishment. He issues 
paper-money, and withdraws it from circulation 
whenever he thinks proper ; for all which he is re- 
sponsible to Government alone, and maybe said to 
be almost absolute in his office. 

In addition to these important functions, the 
present Intendant has assumed the whole direction 
and regulation of the mining concern, which none 
of his predecessors ever practically interfered 
with, it being the peculiar province of the Admi- 
nistrator-general. For this undertaking he is 
equally qualified by the superiority of his talents, 
and by the extent of his acquirements : he studied 
mineralogy many years under the celebrated Wer- 
ner, by whom he was considered as one of his 
most enlightened disciples ; afterwards he travel- 
led through Hungary, and all the most interesting 



DIAMOND MINES. 



355 



German states; and, lastly, made the tour of 
England and Scotland, where he resided two 
years. 

The Administrator-general, to whom belong 
the management and direction of the works, ought 
to be equally experienced in mining and mechanics, 
particularly in hydraulics : he should be a man of 
general information, combined with great prac- 
tical knowledge, relative to the locality of the 
district, so as to be able to ascertain the real value 
of every situation, and to direct the operations 
accordingly. He should have a mind fertile in re- 
sources, and prepared to meet every diappoint- 
ment or casualty that can possibly occur, that the 
time of the negroes may not be employed in vain ; 
he should also facilitate their labors by the intro- 
duction of machinery, and should be particularly 
attentive to their good treatment, since on them 
his success, and consequently his reputation, must 
in a great measure depend. 

On this latter point humanity and policy ought 
alike to direct the attention of the superiors of the 
establishment. It is natural to suppose that ne- 
groes, when treated with harshness, ill fed and ill 
clothed, will be indifferent to the interests of their 
employers, and, perhaps, determined not to find 
diamonds, whereas, when subjected to milder and 
kinder usage, which might be done without relax- 
ing in vigilance, they would become anxious to 
please, and would search more diligently in order 
to obtain notice and reward, It must be obvious 



856 



DIAMOND MINES. 



that negroes rarely conceal diamonds for them- 
selves ; and yet custom has rendered the feelings 
of their real owners in Tejuco so irritable, on be- 
ing suspected to encourage the practice, that if 
the word grimpeiro (smuggler) is mentioned in 
conversation, they shudder with horror and distort 
their features, calling on the Virgin to witness 
their abhorrence of a crime to which Government 
has attached the greatest disgraces and punish- 
ments. 

Pure, honest souls! Being a stranger in the 
country, I conceived that these gentlemen really 
felt the sentiments which their words and gestures 
expressed ; and, as persons of all ranks seemed to 
fear conversing on the subject, I thought at first 
that I should not see a single diamond in all Te- 
juco, except those in the treasury; but a little ac- 
quaintance with the town soon convinced me that 
I was a novice ; for, on visiting a few friends to 
whom I had introductions, I found that diamonds 
were bartered for every thing, and were actually 
much more current than specie. Even pious in- 
digencies were bought with them ; and surely no 
one could have suspected that the seller of His 
Holiness's bulls would condescend to taste the for- 
bidden fruits of Tejuco. 

As I had the honor to reside at the house of 
the Intendant, I was considered by the people of 
the town as a person connected with Government, 
and therefore as one who ought not to be inform- 
ed of the secret traffic among them ; hence, when 



DIAMOND MINES. 357 

in company with the officers of the establishment, 
whenever the word grimpeiro was mentioned, I 
found it necessary to manifest the same feelings 
of disgust which they did ; and, on expressing my 
surprise that any one could so far degrade himself 
as to be guilty of the crime of smuggling dia- 
monds, it was tacitly agreed that no white man 
could stoop to such dishonor. The point was soon 
settled ; for I found it best not to oppose general 
opinions, nor to enter too minutely on delicate 
subjects; and it was sometimes expedient for me 
to seem regardless of what I was most steadfastly 
looking at. 

In Tejuco there are about nine or ten principal 
shopkeepers, to whom the establishment itself, 
and the officers belonging to it, are frequently in- 
debted; indeed, these men receive the greater 
part of the money due to the various persons em- 
ployed in the works, in exchange chiefly for Eng- 
lish commodities of one description or other. The 
establishment is paid once a year, and for this pur- 
pose a sum not less than 300,000 crusades is sent 
from Villa Rica, to which may be added 60,000 
or 100,000 more, found in the gold mines of the 
district. The greater part of this money flowing 
into the hands of the shopkeepers, as above stated, 
is immediately employed in a way injurious to the 
interests of Government; nor can worse policy 
be imagined than that of allowing so large an ex- 
penditure in a place which offers such tempta- 
tions. 



358 



DIAMOND MINES. 



Some years ago many gold-mines were washed 
in this district, but as information was given that 
diamonds were found in them, they were ordered 
to be abandoned. At present more equitable mea- 
sures are adopted, and the proprietors are com- 
mencing to work some of them again, under an 
agreement to give up whatever diamonds they 
find.* 

There is a general order to work all the gold- 
mines which were formerly confiscated, and this 
measure will, it is hoped, increase the quantity of 
gold, and have a good effect in every respect. 

If Government are obliged to hire negroes 
wherever they can obtain them, (which appears to 
be the case), it would be at least expedient to 
have a store to supply them, in order that the 
money paid in wages to them might return into 
the funds of the establishment. 

The hiring of negroes to the diamond works is 
the favorite occupation of all ranks in Tejuco; 
rich and poor endeavour to engage in it to as great 

* One Sunday morning during my stay, an owner of a washing 
came to the house of the Intendant, and brought him two miserable 
diamonds of bad color, which did not weigh together above five grains, 
and these, he said, were all which his ten negroes had found in six 
weeks. In the course of conversation, the Intendant observed that all 
the smugglers were either imprisoned or dispersed, when the man im- 
mediately assumed an appearance of great disgust at the mention of 
persons of so vile a description, and was liberal in his epithets of abuse 
oil them. If I durst have enquired how it happened that his negroes 
in six weeks could find only two bad-colored diamonds, what emotions 
would this immaculate miner have manifested! 



DIAMOND MINES. 



359 



an extent as their property will allow. The pay 
of the slaves is trifling compared with the risk, 
their labor being heavy, their maintenance poor, 
and their treatment harsh ; there must, therefore, 
be some temptation not openly seen, yet as well 
known as light from darkness. Numbers of per- 
sons are thus induced to reside in Tejuco under 
various pretexts, but with no other real view than 
to get their negroes into the service, and to live 
idly on their wages, and on what they conceal or 
pick up. Thus all fatten upon the pasture, ex- 
cept those in the extreme of indigence, and others 
who, from the neglect of economy, are always 
poor. There are a numerous class, from the age 
of seven years to upwards of twenty, who are 
without any visible means of earning their sub- 
sistence, and would remain idle even if manufac- 
tories were established; for though they are 
brought up from their infancy with negro- 
children, yet in the working department they 
would abandon their former play-fellows. The 
people in general are rendered more averse from 
habits of regular industry by the continual hopes 
which they indulge of becoming opulent by some 
fortunate discovery of mines; these fallacious 
ideas, which they instil into the minds of their 
children, strongly prejudice them against labor, 
though they all exist miserably, and not unfre- 
quently depend upon donations. Their education 
is extremely limited: they are in general total 



360 



DIAMOND MINES. 



strangers to the sciences, and are very scantily 
informed on any useful subject. 

As the object of my journey into this district 
was to examine into the real state of affairs, and 
to give a true report of them on my return, for 
which purpose I was furnished with many privi- 
leges never allowed to any person before, and was 
thus enabled to see ail that I desired, humanity 
requires that I should make some observations on 
the fate of those unfortunate persons who have 
been tempted to smuggle diamonds, and have 
been caught in the act. I even mentioned the 
subject to His Excellency, the minister, on my 
return to Rio de Janeiro; but as his occupations 
were great, and the state of my health required 
me to leave the country immediately, nothing more 
was said of it. 

The great demand for these precious articles, 
and the facility of secreting them, have caused 
them to be searched for and carried away in vio- 
lation of the existing laws of the country. Of the 
numbers who have engaged in this illicit traffic, 
from an eager desire to become rich at once, many 
have eluded the vigilance of the guards, and have 
finished their career with credit and opulence; 
others less fortunate have been detected, and have 
incurred the punishment annexed to the offence, 
namely, the surrender of their illegally acquired 
treasure, the confiscation of their whole property, 
and exile to Africa, or confinement, perhaps for 



DIAMOND MINES. 



361 



life, in a loathsome prison. Mild as are the cri- 
minal laws of Brazil, the latter part of this sen- 
tence is an exception at which human nature 
shudders. Surely, when a poor wretch, who has 
been tempted to this offence, has atoned for it by 
the loss of all he possessed, he has suffered suf- 
ficiently without being subjected to the forfeiture 
of personal liberty, and to all the woes incident 
to hopeless captivity. Far be it from me to coun- 
tenance any infringement on the laws which have 
been established for the protection of property, 
either public or private; to respect the institu- 
tions of whatever nation I may live in, I hope I 
shall always be among the first, and to encourage 
others to disregard them, the very last ; for illicit 
trade of every description is a deceitful and dan- 
gerous pursuit, the sweets of which are ever at- 
tended with a counteracting portion of evils. The 
object of my reasoning is to shew that these de- 
graded persons have been of service to the state, 
and may still be rendered useful to it. May it be 
permitted me to enquire who were the discoverers 
of perhaps all the diamond mines which have en- 
riched the caskets of the royal family of Portugal 
beyond comparison with those of any other state, and 
which have not only augmented the revenues of the 
government, but have proved the source from which 
many respectable and enterprising individuals 
have derived their opulence? Adventurers, who, 
at great risk and with indefatigable toil, have pe- 
netrated unknown forests, and explored deep ra- 



362 



DIAMOND MINES. 



vines among the haunts of the savage Anthropo- 
phagi, in search of gold-mines, and in them have 
by chance found diamonds. When a place of this 
description has been once discovered by these 
men, it seldom remains long secret; the agents of 
Government take possession of it, and either 
work it immediately, or guard it until a future 
occasion. The discoverer of course flies from the 
place ; and if he have picked up a few stones, or 
robbed the earth of some of its most brilliant 
rarities, he will seek the best and safest means of 
procuring value for them. If he be a man of suf- 
ficient property, he will hire a few mules, load 
them with cotton, bacon, and other commodities, 
and proceed to Rio de Janeiro in regular form. 
On his arrival there, he enters some good house 
in which he has confidence, and disposes of his 
concealed treasure. His mind is then relieved 
from apprehension, and he begins to make pre- 
parations for his return. His first care is to lay 
out his money to the best advantage; negroes are 
his chief object, and these pay a duty to the state 
on their leaving Angola, and another of ten mil- 
reis each on entering the mining country. If 
they be employed in mining, Government obtains 
a fifth of the gold found, and if in agriculture, a 
tenth of the produce is exacted. The next ob- 
ject of the adventurer is to lay in a stock of 
woollens, and other English manufactures, which 
pay a duty of fifteen per cent, on being landed, 
and are subject to another, according to their 



DIAMOND MINES. 363 

weight, on entering the territory of the mines. 
Thus it really appears that most of the contraband 
property is divided between the state and the 
smuggler: but this is not all; the diamonds are 
sent out of the country, and real effects of value 
are received in return, leaving a balance entirely 
in favor of Brazil. 

This illicit trade has been carried on to a very 
considerable extent: there is a strong presump- 
tive authority for stating that, since the first dis- 
covery of the mines, diamonds to the amount of 
two millions sterling have thus found their way to 
Europe, exclusive of what the contractors ac- 
counted for. This has been owing to the ill ma- 
nagement of the whole establishment, and to the 
total want of necessary regulations, which have 
prevailed so long, that it will not be easy to 
apply a remedy. Let us suppose for a moment 
the system to be changed ; the two thousand ne- 
groes employed in the establishment to be the 
property of the crown (whom two years' profit of 
the diamond mines would be adequate to pur- 
chase) ; these negroes to be supplied with every 
article for their support from a general store, and 
to be treated as mildly as possible; they would 
then form a society, and, knowing no other mas- 
ters than their officers, would have only one com- 
mon interest to serve. The contraband trade by 
this means, though perhaps not totally destroyed, 
would receive an irrecoverable blow, and would 
be reduced almost to nothing. Should such a 



364 



DIAMOND MINES. 



change take place, the shopkeepers, and those per- 
sons who subsist by hiring negroes to the works, 
would find the source of their emoluments dried 
up, and, rather than remain at Tejuco, would mi- 
grate to situations more congenial to their inter- 
ests : thus the district would be freed from that 
bane which has so long over-run it, and Govern- 
ment would reap the advantage of having the 
mines worked by their own negroes, whom it 
would be difficult for others to seduce. 

Another evil which such a change of system 

would be calculated to remove, is the following: 

Every article of sustenance required for the esta- 
blishment is purchased of farmers who reside a 
few leagues from Tejuco, or who have farms at a 
greater distance; and this absurd practice is the 
cause of much unnecessary intercourse. There 
are thousands of acres of excellent land in the vi- 
cinity of the diamond works, having choice of 
situation, and fit for the growth of every species 
of produce. How well might a part of the force 
above-mentioned be occasionally spared for a few 
days only, to be employed in the first operations 
of husbandry, which would be, to inclose a suf- 
ficient quantity of ground in various parts for the 
maintenance of the establishment. A certain 
number of negroes would be allotted, in propor- 
tion to the land under cultivation, and on parti- 
cular occasions, as in harvest, an auxiliary force 
would be always at hand. This would be farm- 
ing with double advantage; the plough would 



DIAMOND MINES. 



365 



work instead of the hoe; after-crops would be 
sown to be eaten off the ground, which would 
thus be enriched and kept in good condition. 
Numbers of acres would be planted with artificial 
grass, subject to irrigation where that was prac- 
ticable, and thus, contrary to the general prac- 
tice, the cattle would be provided with subsistence 
in the dry season. Indian corn, wheat, mandioca, 
feijones, potatoes, &c. would be cultivated, and, 
under proper management, would yield crops 
equal to the most sanguine expectation. Store- 
houses, with requisite conveniences, would soon 
be erected, in which the grain might be kept 
without spoiling. Thus would the first principles 
of husbandry be introduced into the district, and 
prove a source of more lasting benefit to the state 
than mines either of gold or diamonds, for when 
the latter were exhausted there would remain an 
active and industrious population. It seems, in- 
deed, to have been the purpose of nature, in dis- 
tributing these precious substances in these re- 
mote and almost unknown parts, to allure civilized 
men to settle upon them. 

From the circumstances which have been al- 
ready explained, it will appear that, under the 
present system, the Government pay for all the 
diamonds that are found here, and probably 
receive little more than one-half; therefore it is 
evident that those conveyed through other chan- 
nels can be sold to the public at a lower price than 
that at which the former are obtained. But the 



366 



DIAMOND DISTRICT. 



embarrassed state of the establishment is such, 
that the managers cannot lessen their expenses, be- 
ing obliged to take credit for every article, and 
to hire almost any negroes that are offered. These 
evils have taken too deep root to be eradicated, even 
by the abilities of the present Intendant : had such a 
man been placed here forty years ago, empowered 
to act without control, and to govern the district 
as private property, on the principles above 
stated, he might have rendered it a province both 
rich and independent. 

As all the diamonds found in these works belong 
to the crown, the royal family have been accus- 
tomed to select from the quantity annually re- 
mitted whatever stones they considered worthy 
their notice, which were generally those exceed- 
ing seventeen carats. They were formerly sent 
to Holland to be cut, the Dutch being the con- 
tractors of the diamonds, from the first discove- 
ry of the mines ; but since the emigration of the 
court to Rio de Janeiro, that trade has been 
transferred to England, where these precious 
stones annually arrive, and are sold by private 
contract. 

The collection of diamonds now in the posses- 
sion of the Prince Regent is unequalled in num- 
ber, size, and quality, by that of any potentate 
in the world; and I am credibly informed that it 
exceeds in estimated value three millions sterling. 

This district has a direct communication with 
Bahia, and a few troops of mules are continually 



DIAMOND DISTRICT. 



employed in going from one place to the other. 
The journey is much longer than to Rio de Ja- 
neiro, but the country is less mountainous ; there 
are fewer ranchos or hovels on the road, and in one 
part it is requisite to carry fresh water for two days* 
consumption. The commodities sent from Tejuco 
to Minas Novas are very trivial, consisting of smug- 
gled gold, chrysoberyls, topazes, amethysts, and 
other stones ; in return for which are brought Eng- 
lish fine manufactured goods, paricularly hats, print- 
ed cottons, stockings, and saddles, which have been 
much cheaper in Bahia than in England. Coarser 
articles are generally sent from Rio de Janeiro, 
the distance being, as before observed, much 
shorter. 

Of navigable rivers we can say but little. The 
many small streams, that rise in various parts, join 
and form the Jiquitinhonha, which, as before ob- 
served, may be navigated to sea, without any im- 
pediment, in at most ten days' time. How much 
would the country be benefited if a port were es- 
tablished at the entrance of this river, and vessels 
were allowed to load and unload; canoes would 
find their way from thence into the interior in the 
short space of twenty days, loaded with every ar- 
ticle necessary for the consumption of the district. 
How superior would this mode of conveyance be 
to that of making roads through impervious woods, 
and over almost impassable mountains. How 
many thousands of crusades annually expended on 
mules would be thus saved to the public, and what 



368 



DIAMOND DISTRICT. 



numbers of men would thus be trained for the 
service of the marine, instead of those now em- 
ployed as muleteers. With the advantage of such 
a communication, Minas Novas and Cerro do Frio 
would soon more than double their population, 
and it might be anticipated that the banks of these 
fine rivers, now lying deserted and useless, would 
bloom with every variety of vegetation, which this 
genial climate is capable of producing. 

Under the present system Tejuco ought to main- 
tain itself, and have the least possible intercourse 
with other places. Its commerce ought to be con- 
fined wholly to gold and precious stones; but 
should Government determine to make diamonds 
a free trade, then a contrary policy would be re- 
quisite. On |his subject I shall, in the sequel, 
have some observations to make. 

The quadrupeds of Cerro do Frio are common 
to other parts of Brazil. Mules are the principal 
beasts of burthen, and are , much dearer than in 
the districts more to the southward* Horses are 
not so numerous, but cheaper, being in very little 
request, and used only on journeys of pleasure. 
Horned cattle are bred at a considerable distance, 
and brought for the consumption of the place. 
Sheep are almost unknown; hogs and goats are 
more plentiful; of dogs there are but few, and 
the race is very indifferent. Ounces are very sel- 
dom seen; there are not many deer; the danta,or 
tapir, is not uncommon. 

Of birds there are a few varieties, but in no 



CERRO DO FRIO. 



369 



great numbers; partridges are rather common; we 
shot several in our way to the different mines, 
which proved good eating. Domestic fowls are 
in tolerable plenty, but by no means cheap, being 
eighteen-pence to two shillings each. 

Of serpents, I saw only one, and it was harm- 
less : but I was informed that the rattle-snake and 
the jararaca, both equally venomous, are common 
in this district. Lizards are very numerous, and 
the cayman, or alligator, is found in most of the 
lagoons and rivers. 

Fish are extremely scarce in all the streams, 
owing to the quantity of matter with which their 
waters are impregnated from the numerous wash- 
ings. 

This district is in general free from that trouble- 
some plague, the mosquito, as that insect is pe- 
culiar to low and swampy places, and does not 
bite with such disagreeable effect in elevated and 
airy situations. Bees are but little attended to, 
and are scarcely known ; were the management of 
them better understood and practised by the inha- 
bitants, they might be much increased, and wax 
might even be exported. 

In closing my observations on this district, I 
may be permitted to add some particulars relative 
to the capital. The families whom I had the ho- 
nor to visit appeared to live in great sociability. 
They frequently form tea-parties. The dress of 
the ladies consists almost entirely of articles of 
English manufacture, cotton-prints, straw hats, ar- 

BB 



370 RETURN TO RIO DE JANEIRO. 

tificial flowers, jewelry, &c. Owing to the distance 
of Tejuco from a sea-port, piano-fortes have not 
been introduced here, or they would probably be in 
considerable demand ; for the ladies in general have 
a taste for music, and touch the guitar with great 
spirit and elegance. Dancing is a favorite amuse- 
ment, and all appear much pleased and animated 
with the English country-dance. The ladies sel- 
dom go abroad, except to mass, and then they are 
usually carried in a chair hung with curtains and 
a canopy, and suspended from a pole borne by 
two men. The sedentary habits of the females I 
have often thought injurious to their health; but, 
since English saddles have been introduced, they 
begin to take airings on horseback. 

Warm baths are very generally used, being con- 
sidered of great efficacy in removing recent colds, 
to which all persons here are liable, on account of 
the peculiar nature of the climate. They are in- 
variably offered at night to travellers, as a means 
of relieving the pains occasioned by the fatigues 
of the day. 

A continuance of ill health obliged me to take 
leave of my friends in Tejuco, and to return to 
Rio de Janeiro with all possible expedition. It 
will not be expected that I should relate all the 
particulars of my journey thither, as I retraced 
my former route with a few occasional deviations g 
I shall therefore confine myself to whatever I saw 
worthy of interest which I did not observe on my 
way to Tejuco. 



SAN GONSAL. 



371 



Dr. Camara did me tlie honor to accompany me 
as far as San Goncal, and showed me a work a 
short distance from the establishment, near the 
margin of a river of the same name. As I staid 
here one entire day with this gentleman, I had 
leisure to examine this singular situation, where 
I, for the first time, found mountains of sienite, 
incredibly hard, composed of hornblende and feld- 
spar. About forty years ago this excavation, which 
was of considerable depth, was suddenly filled up 
by the bursting-in of the side, for want of proper 
support to resist the pressure of the incumbent 
stratum, which falling in immense masses, totally 
destroyed the works ; and they remained in this 
state until about two years ago. As the wings of 
vague report are in general much longer than those 
of truth, this place had the reputation of being 
extremely rich in diamonds, and the apparent im- 
possibility of clearing it, added greatly to the credit 
which was given to it. Old inhabitants came for- 
ward to say that they had been employed in the 
works when the accident happened, and that the 
diamonds found in them excelled in number, size, 
and fineness those produced at any other place. 
These reports soon reached the ears of the Intend- 
ant, who, within a year after entering his office at 
Tejuco, formed a plan of clearing and excavating 
the works. Such a stupendous undertaking was 
calculated only for a man of his superior talents 
and enterprise. He stationed there four hundred 
negroes under the direction of the best officers on 



372 



SAN GONSAL. 



the establishment; inclined planes were formed, 
and pulleys calculated to lift immense weights 
were erected. As some of the masses of sienite 
were too large to be raised whole, and the sub- 
stance was so hard that steel would not stand to 
bore it, they were obliged to contrive means for 
breaking them. Recourse was had to large fires, 
with which the rocks were heated, and cold water 
was thrown upon them from tubs suspended by 
long pieces of timber formed somewhat like cranes. 
After six months of very heavy and incessant la- 
bor, the place was cleared. Let us for a moment 
reflect on the sanguine expectations which had 
been formed respecting the size of the diamonds, 
their number and brilliancy, the honors that would 
be conferred on the officers, &c. and we may 
judge what must have been the general disappoint- 
ment, when, after the very bottom had been scrap- 
ed, not a diamond was found ! Thus ended this se- 
rious trial, made at great expense, labor, and risk ; 
like many other speculations, built on the delusive 
stories propagated by old miners respecting places 
formerly worked, by which new adventurers are 
generally tempted, and frequently ruined. 

I continued my former route, visiting the same 
friends who had received me on my journey to Te~ 
juco, until I arrived at Cocaes, In the vicinity 
of this place are found fine amethysts and crystals, 
through which titanium is interspersed. Proceed- 
ing from hence, I took a more easterly route to 
Bromada, distant about five leagues. A great part 



GOLD WORKS. 



373 



of the road was covered with rich iron ore. I 
passed through the village of St. J ohn, and enter- 
ed a fine valley, through which ran a little rivulet, 
called St. Antonio; — a more delightful place can- 
not be imagined : the grounds, which lay in gentle 
elevations, were capable of every kind of cultiva- 
tion, and appeared calculated amply to repay the 
farmer for any labor he might bestow on them. In 
addition to these advantages, and that of a fine 
climate, this vicinity yet contains some places ex- 
tremely rich in gold. At the end of this valley 
we crossed the rivulet over a good stone bridge, 
and passed through a pretty hamlet called Barra ; 
proceeding a league further, we arrived at the 
house of Captain Jose Alvarez, who received me 
with great kindness. This being Sunday, many 
of the neighbours were on a visit to his house; a 
sumptuous dinner had been provided, and the 
evening passed in very interesting conversation 
relative to the mode of mining in that neighbour- 
hood. Next day I went to visit the gold-works 
belonging to this gentleman, the principal of which 
was situated near the summit of a mountain of 
decomposed granite, one part of which seemed to 
have slipped from the other, leaving a cleft of 
twenty feet perpendicular. The face of this cleft 
appeared of different colors, some more red or 
brown than others; the parts esteemed most 
rich in gold had the appearance of irregular cavi- 
ties, filled by a stalactitic substance in decomposi- 



374 ARRIVAL AT VILLA RICA. 

tion. This mountain has produced a great quan- 
tity of gold, and continues yet rich : it may be truly 
called auriferous ; for I directed negroes to bring me 
specimens of earth from every part of the cleft, from 
the roots of the grass to the bottom, all of which I 
found to contain gold. At this place stamps are 
used to reduce the more indurated substances, but 
they are so ill constructed as to produce but little 
effect. After a most pressing invitation to stay, and 
advantageous offers of land to a considerable extent, 
which I found it expedient to decline, I took leave 
of the owner of this establishment, a nd passed a very 
large house belonging to Capitao Mor Penha, a 
very opulent miner, who has a large establishment 
of negroes, and extensive lands. I continued my 
route five leagues through an auriferous country, 
passed the village of St. Barbara, and arrived at 
Cantas Altas. From hence I proceeded to Villa 
Rica, without observing any thing worth notice. 

I was here received with the same attention 
and respect which I had experienced on my 
first visit. Finding it necessary to remain a few 
days to recruit my health, I examined a variety 
of substances that had been collected for me dur- 
ing my absence, but was not fortunate enough to 
meet with any thing very interesting. The theatre 
being open, I passed two evenings there, and was 
much gratified to find that the rational amuse- 
irent of the drama had superseded savage bull- 
fights. The theatre and decorations "were neat, 



ARRIVAL AT RIO DE JANEIRO. 375 

and the performances tolerable ; were they better 
encouraged, the public would receive greater gra- 
tification. They have ever been under the control 
of the governor, and are generally so fettered as 
to be obliged to perform such pieces only as his 
caprice may dictate. 

Leaving Villa Rica, I continued my journey to 
the capital, where I arrived about the middle of 
February 1810, in a most exhausted state, from 
the combined effects of fatigue and an indisposi- 
tion which continual exertion and want of rest 
had increased in a considerable degree. I in- 
formed His Excellency the Conde de Linhares of 
my arrival, and, in a few days afterwards, had the 
honor of presenting to him a report, stating the 
particulars of my journey. I was afterwards in- 
troduced to the Prince, who did me the honor to 
express his approbation of my account of the 
country through which I had travelled, and re- 
quested me to publish it. He was graciously 
pleased to make both my attendants inferior offi- 
cers, in reward for their good conduct; and when 
I expressed my thanks for this mark of his at- 
tention, he replied, that it was too trivial to no- 
tice, and desired me to name in what manner he 
could testify the sense he entertained of my ser- 
vices. At this moment my health was so ex- 
tremely precarious, that I could not think of re- 
maining in Rio de Janeiro, where I found myself 
daily.getting worse; otherwise I have not the 



4) 

376 MINAS GERAES. 

smallest doubt that the generosity of the Prince 
would have amply repaid me for the fatigues I 
had encountered. 



CHAP. XVI. 

General View of Minus Geraes. 

THE capitania of Minas Geraes extends from 
600 to 700 miles from north to south, and about 
the same distance from east to west. It is bound- 
ed on the north by the capitania of Bahia ; on the 
west by that of Goyaz; on the south by the river 
Paraibuna, which divides it from the capitania 
of Rio de Janeiro. It is separated from the 
capitania of Espirito Santo and the coast by an 
immense chain of mountains, which country, be- 
ing inhabited by the Aborigenes, is of course very 
little known. 

This capitania is estimated to contain three 
hundred and sixty thousand inhabitants, of whom 
two hundred thousand are negroes, or their im- 
mediate offspring. The population of Indians is 
not included in this estimate, nor can it be ascer- 
tained; they are considered as by no means numer- 



MINAS GERAES. 



377 



cms, as they never make any opposition against 
an armed force, however small. In the course of 
my journey I did not see one, except the child 
at the village of Conceicao, nor did I ever hear 
of one of the race of the Buticudos becoming civi- 
lized, or living in any of the villages with the set- 
tled inhabitants*. 

The regular military establishment of the capi- 
tania is very respectable, and consists of 1400 
cavalry, which number is prescribed by law. Their 
principal station is at Villa Rica, where the general 
resides, who, jointly with the governor, issues all or- 
ders respecting them. They form a disposeable 
force for the general service of the capitania; they 
are appointed to guard certain places known to con- 
tain valuable products ; also to receive tolls, col- 
lect tythes, patrol the roads, and search suspi- 
cious persons, for which purposes parties of them 
are stationed at the various guard-houses and re- 
gisters. They go in quest of felons, guard the 
prisons, and likewise execute orders to impress men 
levied for service in Rio de Janeiro. They are 
employed exclusively in the mining country, which 
they never quit, except when they escort dia- 

* From all accounts relative to the Indians, either by the officer* 
employed against them, and better acquainted with their habits than 
other men, or from any of the settlers who live near the coast, it does 
not appear that they have the smallest knowledge of gold or of pre- 
cious stones; hence they can in no degree have contributed to the dis- 
covery of those treasures in the district. 



378 MINAS GERAES. 

monds and treasure to the capital, or are dis- 
patched on any particular service. The regiment 
is a very fine one, and enjoys so high a reputa- 
tion, that numbers are continually offering to eir- 
list in it. While I was at Villa Rica, nearly two 
hundred volunteers were serving, without any re- 
muneration whatever, waiting to be placed on the 
establishment according to their seniority, as va- 
cancies should occur. This affords the general an 
opportunity of choosing the most soldier-like 
men, and those of best character ; in which re- 
spects it is asserted, and I believe with great 
truth, that the corps is unrivalled. The officers 
enter very young, and serve as cadets for a certain 
period, during which they perform the duty and 
receive the pay of privates, from whom they are 
distinguished by a star on the right shoulder, and 
generally exercise together. They are promoted 
according to seniority. 

Besides this force, there is a militia, in which 
all the male inhabitants of the capitania are en- 
rolled, and are liable to be called out when oc- 
casions require. It is a part of the present policy 
of the Prince's ministers to stimulate the Creoli- 
ans to active occupations, by obliging them either 
to till their grounds, or to enter the ranks and 
become soldiers. 

The known produce of this vast extent of terri- 
tory comes next under consideration. On this 
subject I shall not follow a variety of vague ac- 



MINAS GERAES. 



379 



counts, which have been compiled with little re- 
gard to truth, but shall present to the reader the 
result of my own observations. 

The great quantities of gold, precious stones, 
iron, &c. produced in this country have been 
largely treated upon. Lead ore appears to be 
rare, as it is found only near Abaite, Antimony 
abounds in the vicinity of Sahara ; native bismuth 
is found near Villa Rica; arsenical and iron 
pyrites are very common; titanium is found in 
octahedral crystals, also in beautiful prisms and 
tender spicula, finely grouped in rock crystal. 
Platina may be obtained in tolerable quantities at 
Lagos, but the place which produces it has been 
abandoned from want of a market. Chromate of 
lead, / was informed, is found in the vicinity of 
Cocaes; but I have reason to suspect I was 
imposed upon. At Tejuco, also, I was shown 
some, and was presented with two pieces, which 
are uncommonly fine, more brilliant in color than 
that from Siberia, and distinctly crystallized on 
a matrix of granular sand-stone, accompanied 
with the green oxide of chrome. Copper can 
scarcely be said to exist in this * country ; the 
only place at present known to produce it, is 
a mountain twenty leagues from Tejuco, where 
small particles appear in a rock of quartz and 
hornblende: the matrix is so hard, and the 
quantity of copper so trivial, as to afford no en- 
couragement to work it. The place has been ex- 
amined by the Intendant, and is known to most 



380 



MINAS GERAES. 



persons in Tejuco*. No mines of silver have 
been discovered in the capitania, but the gold is 
generally found to contain that precious metal, 
sometimes in great proportion. No tin, cobalt, or 
any other metal, except those above mentioned, 
have been hitherto met with. 

Of salts, impure nitrate of potass is formed in 
great abundance, generally, if not always, in cal- 
careous situations, in a tract of country which 
commences from ten to fourteen degrees west of 
Tejuco, particularly at Monte Rodrigo, which is 
situated between the two celebrated rivers called 
Rio dos Velhos and Parauna. This mountain is 
very large and well wooded; the stratum is calca- 
reous, and contains many eaves furred, as it were, 
with nitrate of potass. Since Government has 
made nitre an object of commerce, and encouraged 
its production, many families have settled at this 
place, and have collected large quantities of this 
saliferous substance, which, after several opera- 
tions, is sent to Rio de Janeiro, where it is refined 
for the great powder-manufactory recently estab- 
lished near that city. 

In various places are found the finest clays in 
great plenty, fit for porcelain and earthenware of 
every description, which are entirely neglected. 

* At a place called Caldeiroens, near to Ouro Branco, I received 
two bits of this metal, but they were so small and disfigured, as to 
leave strong doubts respecting their being natural; the more so, by- 
reason of the many impositions that were attempted to be practised 
upon me by false specimens of copper-ores, silver, &c, 



MINAS GEUAES. 



381 



In other parts I saw cyanite, actinolite, tremolite, 
pot-stone, and chlorite. Conglomerate masses of 
recent formation, enveloping diamonds and grains 
of gold, are sometimes, though rarely, met with ; 
also a siliceous substance of a fine dark-blue color, 
probably totally unknown. 

On the vegetable products of this capitania I 
have but few observations to make, in addition to 
those already given in the course of my narrative. 
Many parts are well calculated for the growth of 
hemp and flax, and water for steeping them is 
easily obtained in most situations ; so that the only 
impediment to the introduction of these useful 
plants appears to be the labor required to clear 
them. 

In the immense woods the finest trees are fre- 
quently destroyed by the creeping plants, which 
cannot grow without adhering to some support. 
When they attach themselves to a tree, they shoot 
up very rapidly, encircling it with numerous fibres, 
and in a few years become so strong as entirely to 
stop the growth of the tree, and at length destroy 
it. When in a young state, they are so flexible 
as to be used for ordinary purposes instead of cords. 
I have seen negroes make their bridles of them, 
and ride with them for a day together. 

As these forests remain unexplored, many of 
the trees are unknown, and consequently the qua- 
lities of their barks. However, there are some 
used by the inhabitants in dying yellow; and I 



382 



MINAS GERAES. 



was informed some yielded a black color that could 
not be washed out. There is a variety which 
serves for curing skins, or tanning, some of which 
give the hide a red color, others leave it almost 
white: but this art is so little known, and the 
people are so averse to employments of this sort, 
that it has hitherto made little progress. 

Gum tragacanth is in great plenty, and of a very 
good quality. There are immense quantities of 
aromatic shrubs ; and I found in many places, upon 
the bark of trees, and more particularly upon old 
wood, a lichen, which yielded to water a most 
beautiful crimson color*.. Jointed canes grow 

* A part of the lichen which I brought home with me I presented 
to a gentleman who was fond of chemical experiments: he obtained 
from the small quantity of three grains as much coloring matter as im- 
parted to an ounce of fluid a deep purple, sufficiently strong for every 
purpose of dying. 

The following are the results of some experiments which he did me 
the favor to make : 

White sewing-silk, put into an alcoholic solution only once, received 
a fine strong purple. 

Part of a skein of the same material, was put into a solution of pot- 
ash, which produced a purple deeper in hue than the former. 

Cotton thread and worsted yarn, immersed only once in the same so- 
lution, produced very nearly the same colors. 

The part of a skein of silk died in the alcoholic solution was im- 
mersed in a solution of muriate of tin, which produced a beautiful 
lilac, approaching to dove-colored blue. The same substance died in 
a solution of potash, and immersed in a solution of muriate of tin, be- 
came a few shades darker, and rather more of a pink hue. These are 
not unfavorable results from a quantity so minute; and [ feel confident 
that this substance may be rendered a very valuable article of trade. 

A few weeks ago, I received another sample of excellent lichen, very 
full of color, which I hope may be turned to some advantage. 



MINAS GERAES. 



383 



spontaneously, frequently above thirty feet long, 
and in many places form arcades over the road: 
these plants always indicate the soil to be very 
fertile. 

Ferns grow so large, as almost to lose their cha- 
racteristic: I have frequently seen them twelve 
feet high. These and other succulent plants, when 
reduced to ashes, serve to make soap, of which 
almost every negra knows the process, and most 
families make for their own use. It is very sharp, 
and washes white articles uncommonly well*. In 
this fine country, where almost every gradation of 
climate may be found, European fruits, such as 
olives, almonds, chesnuts, mulberries, &c. would 
thrive, if properly attended to. 

The mulberry is cultivated at one place, where 
I saw a few silk worms. The climate is favorable 
to them, but the population is not sufficient to 
carry the breeding of them to any extent, as they 
require great attendance and care, 

Cochineal may be said to be almost unknown in 
the capitania; the palma Christi grows sponta- 
neously, and from its seeds great quantities of 
castor oil may be extracted. For bananas and 
other tropical fruits the climate is not sufficiently 
hot, and is too changeable. Beans, peas, and puisne 
in general are very fine; pumpkins also, and cab- 

* In many parts of the coast, the plant which produces the barilla 
■would probably florish abundantly, if introduced, and would form an 
excellent article of commerce, not only for exportation, but for home 
consumption. 



384, 



ST. JOAO D'EL REY. 



bages grow to a great size. It is a fine country 
for flowers ; the rose is extremely fragrant* and is 
in bloom all the year. Varieties of the passion- 
flower are found in all parts ; pinks and carnations, 
with numberless other flowers, grow in great pro- 
fusion. 

This capitania contains four comarcas, or dis- 
tricts, St. Joao d'El Rey, Sahara, Villa Rica, and 
Cerro do Frio, all of which produced much more 
gold a few years after their discovery than at pre- 
sent, though in the year 1809 Villa Rica alone re- 
ceived for gold permuted a hundred and six arrobas 
of thirty-two pounds each. The mines in the 
other three comarcas cannot be rated to permute 
less than from fifteen to twenty arrobas, therefore 
the capitania may be estimated to yield to Govern- 
ment, as the annual fifth, a quantity not less than 
one hundred and fifty arrobas. 

St. Joao d'El Rey, the capital of the district so 
called, is a considerable town, and contains at 
least five thousand inhabitants. It is situated near 
the Rio das Mortes, which runs northerly, and 
empties itself into the Rio das Velhas. The coun- 
try around it is very fertile, and produces excel- 
lent fruits, both exotic and indigenous; also In- 
dian corn, and beans in great quantities ; as well 
as a little wheat. This comarca being more culti- 
vated than any other part, is called the granary of 
the district ; cheese is made here in tolerable quan- 
tity, and bacon very indifferently cured, both 
whicfh are sent to Rio de Janeiro, and form a con- 



ST. joao d'el rey. 385 

siderable trade. Great numbers of fowls are also 
sent thither, and a little rum, sugar, and coffee. 
Provisions of all kinds are much cheaper than at 
Villa Rica; pork and beef are about a penny per 
pound, poultry in proportion, and vegetables 
equally cheap. 

About two leagues distant from the town is the 
rivulet of San Jose,* formerly abounding in gold- 
washings, some of which continue good, particu- 
larly those in the vicinity of a pretty village, call- 
ed Campanha. In the neighbourhood is a moun- 
tain that produces a great quantity of iron pyrites, 
which many people believe to be gold, and say 
that no method is yet known for extracting it. In 
this district are a great number of pines of a very 
singular variety, from the bark of which exudes 
much resinous gum. The wood is of a fine 
brown-red color, full of knots, and inconceivably 
hard. 

Some cotton, although not very considerable in 
quantity, is grown in this district ; it is spun by 
hand, and woven into coarse clothing, generally 
for the use of the negroes. Finer cloth is some- 
times woven for table linen. The making of lace 
is a favorite occupation with the ladies of St. J oao 
d'El Rey, who are reputed to be more attentive 
to domestic concerns than those of other towns, 
many of them being descendants of the Paulis- 
tas, so celebrated for industry and economy. 

* There are several rivulets in various parts that bear this name, 
CC 



386 



SABARA. 



The district of Sahara was discovered and set- 
tled hy the Paulistas, who took possession of it 
as early as the year 1690, or, according to some 
accounts, twenty years earlier. They founded the 
town which is now the capital of the district, and 
worked several gold-mines in its neighbourhood, 
the produce of which they sent to their native 
place, as it was their custom to do with all the 
gold found in the various parts which they ex- 
plored; on this account the city of S. Paulo ac- 
quired a much higher reputation for riches than it 
merited, it being generally believed that all the 
gold sent from thence was procured in that vici- 
nity. Some years after the establishment of Sa- 
hara, the Court of Lisbon sent out a nobleman as 
governor to reduce the settlers, and to oblige them 
to pay a tribute in conformity to the laws of the 
colony. The settlers took up arms, and several 
encounters took place, in one of which the noble- 
man was killed : but, after some time, the viceroy 
sent great reinforcements into the interior, and 
quelled the insurgents, who submitted to pay a 
fifth of the gold produced. An adventurer of the 
name of Artis, who was a man of great intrepi- 
dity and perseverance, and had made considerable 
discoveries in the neighbourhood, was afterwards 
appointed governor, and this proved the means of 
reconciling all parties. 

Respecting the working of the mines through- 
out this capitania, it has been already observed, 



MACHINE FOR WASHING FOR GOLD. 387 

that much loss of time and labor is occasioned by 
the want of machinery, and proper implements 
for the workmen. Not a cart or wheel-barrow is 
in use: every thing necessary to be removed is 
carried on the heads of the poor negroes, in ga- 
mellas, who have in many instances to climb up 
steep ascents, where inclined planes might be em- 
ployed to great advantage, and would be formed 
with very little trouble. The cassoon is the only 
hydraulic machine known, and is very generally 
adopted : but it is constructed with great difficulty 
and expense*, and can be used only where a strong 
current of water can be commanded. Pumps might, 
at very trivial cost, be constructed on the sim- 
ple plan of the machines used to pound their In- 
dian corn. 

The tedious process of washing the cascdlho for 
gold in gamellas, would be much shortened by 
using a machine of very easy construction. Sup- 
pose a cylinder to be formed of bars of iron lon- 
gitudinally placed, and nailed to circles of wood, 
open at each end, and suspended on two centres, 
one about sixteen inches higher than the other. 
At the highest end the cascalho is to enter by be- 
ing put into a hopper which communicates with 
it. The bars must be nailed almost close to each 
other at the upper end, gradually widening to the 
lower end, where they should be about half an 
inch asunder. The cylinder ought to be from ten 
to twelve feet long, and a stream of water conduct- 
ed to fall upon it length-wise: it should be inclosed, 



■ 



388 MACHINERY* 

like a dressing-machine in a flour-mill, and be sub- 
jected to a very quick motion. The portion of 
eascalho containing the most gold will fall through, 
near the upper end; the other parts, according to 
their comparative fineness, gradually descending 
until nothing but the pebbles fall out at the lower 
end. The earth, &c. falling into partitions or 
troughs below the cylinder, would be ready for 
being separated from the gold by hand, which 
might be done with very little trouble. Machines 
of this kind might be made on any scale, and, if 
generally known and adopted, would save the la- 
bor of the negroes in a tenfold degree. The one 
constructing in Cerro do Frio will, when complete, 
do more work than a hundred negroes in the same 
space of time. A considerable improvement might 
yet be made in this useful apparatus ; for, if the 
gold, &c. washed from the machine were to faH 
upon troughs placed in an inclined position, hav- 
ing a channel across about a yard from the upper 
end,* all the gold would precipitate into it, and; 
if a negro were to be continually employed in agi- 
tating the water, the earthy matter would run off, 
leaving only the gold and the ferruginous particles, 
which might be easily separated by mercury f. The 
utility of machinery of this kind is too obvious to 
need pointing out. 

• If necessary, another channel might be made at a convenient dis- 
tance from the first. 

t It cannot be too much recommended to Government to introduce 
the process of amalgamation generally throughout the mines. 



MACHINERY. 



389 



Mills composed of three heavy irregular stones,, 
resembling our flint-mills, would reduce many of 
the ferruginous aggregates and softer substances 
which contain gold. The matter thus reduced 
might be immediately washed by falling or being 
put into the inclined planes before described, and 
would, no doubt, prove the means of obtaining 
considerable quantities of the precious metal, 
which would be otherwise lost. Stamps might be 
useful where gold is found in hard and brittle sub- 
stances : but these would be more effectually pul- 
verized by a heavy stone rolling upon its edge, not 
unlike a tanner's bark-mill. 

In many instances, hand-seives might be useful, 
and would save much time and labor in washing, 
but perhaps they would be too expensive. Even 
miners' tools are much wanted, the only ones in 
use being the iron bar and the hoe. The common 
miner's pick would in many cases be serviceable, 
and bucking-irons* would reduce the matrix much 
more effectually than beating it with stones, which 
is the only mode now practised. It is a most un- 
fortunate circumstance, and very detrimental to 
the interests of the miners, that whatever is made 
of iron is so dear as to be beyond the means of 
the inhabitants to procure, nor have they any sub- 
stitute for it. 

When the present state of the mining country 

* Bucking-irons, are pieces of cast-iron with wood handles, used at 
the lead mines, to break the ore from what it adheres to. 



390 



USEFUL SOCIETIES. 



is considered, and its rich resources are compared 
with the want of science, which prevents the in- 
habitants from improving them, how much is it 
to be wished that Government would establish 
and encourage economical societies on the plan 
of our Society of Arts, Manufactures, and Com- 
merce, in which inquiries might be made into 
all subjects relative to the useful arts. Repo- 
sitories also might be established in all the princi- 
pal towns of the capitania, where models of use- 
ful machinery and various implements might be 
kept for the inspection of the public. Scientific 
publications should be purchased, and every means 
employed to promote the cultivation of science 
among the inhabitants. At the meetings of the 
societies, every measure tending to increase the 
commerce of the district should be discussed with 
particular attention; honorary gifts should be 
made to those who most promoted its welfare, and 
premiums should be offered for the encouragement 
of all attempts to ameliorate the condition of the 
working class of the negroes. 

Thus emulation would be enkindled among 
them, and useful knowledge, descending from pa- 
rent to child, would soon be universally diffused. 
This would be the true foundation of the prospe- 
rity of the country; for no territory perhaps in 
the world is so rich in natural products, and at the 
same time so neglected for want of an enlightened 
and industrious population. 



391 



CHAP. XVII. 

Brief Notices on the Capitanias of Bahia, Per- 
nambuco, Sear a, Maranham, Para, and Goijaz. 

THE capitania of Bahia, to the northward of 
Minas Geraes, comes next under consideration, 
respecting which, as I did not visit it, I have only 
to present some observations from the best in- 
formation I could procure. It extends a consi- 
derable distance along the coast, being bounded 
on the north by the great river St. Francisco, 
which runs into the sea in lat. 11° south, and se- 
parated from the district of Ilheos (formerly a 
capitania) by the river Das Contas in lat. 14° 
south. It receives its name from the capacious 
bay on which its capital is built, and which affords 
excellent anchorage for ships of any burthen. 
St. Salvador, the capital, also called Cidade de 
Bahia, was originally the seat of the supreme 
government of Brazil: it consists of two parts, 
one built on low ground near the shore, where the 
commerce is carried on, and the other on a high 
hill, which being considered the most healthy, is 
the residence of all the people of consequence. 
Its population is said to be nearly equal to that of 
Rio de Janeiro, and is stated at not less than 
seventy thousand souls. The houses are built 



392 



BAHIA. 



with latticed windows and balconies, similar to 
those in Rio de Janeiro. The churches are the 
public buildings most worthy of notice: they are 
said to be richly ornamented within. The go- 
vernment of the city is vested in a governor, who 
is nominated by the court for three years. Here 
all law proceedings, civil and criminal, come be- 
fore the tribunal, called Rellagas, the sentence c# 
which is in general final, though appeals in cer- 
tain cases may be made to a higher tribunal, called 
the De%emba go do Pago. 

This town is tolerably defended, also the bay, 
as well as circumstances will permit. On the 
shore is a royal arsenal, and numerous houses for 
stores, &c. The custom-house and wharfs are 
conveniently situated. Ships of war have been 
built here, also many very large and fine vessels 
for the merchant service. For these purposes a 
large supply of fine timber was (and, I presume, 
continues to be) readily obtained from the interior 
from the number of fine rivers which flow into 
the bay. The wood holds iron better, and is su- 
perior to our oak. 

The manners and customs of the people differ 
little from those of the inhabitants of the capital; 
but it is said that in the best societies here, more 
gaiety and refinement prevail, and the higher 
classes are more sociable, than in Rio de Janeiro. 
A taste for music is general ; there are few houses 
without the guitar, and all the more respectable 
families have piano-fortes. The ladies dress in 



BAHIA. 



393 



the English style, and ornament themselves with 
gold chains : they wear very few diamonds ; their 
favorite gem is the chrysolite. For deshabille at 
home they wear a kind of loose dress, over which 
they throw a veil on the entrance of strangers. 
They are considered as far less industrious than 
the females of the southern districts. The do- 
mestic dress of the men consists of a jacket and 
loose trowsers, made of light printed cotton. 

Religious processions take place here, as in Rio 
de Janeiro, on great festivals and rejoicing days; 
and these festive occasions are distinguished by 
various amusements, which continue from morn- 
ing to night. At these times the Brazilians have 
a custom of covering the walls and balconies of 
their houses with velvet or beautiful silks, em- 
broidered with gold lace, in architectural orders, 
made and ornamented for the purpose; thus 
adorned the houses exhibit a most splendid ap- 
pearance. 

One of the most memorable seasons of rejoic- 
ing of late years was when the Prince touched at 
this city on his voyage to Rio de J aneiro, and re- 
mained several days. The inhabitants testified 
their loyalty and attachment to him by every pub- 
lic demonstration of joy, and by a display of all 
the grandeur and magnificence which they had 
means to furnish. As a more solid proof of their 
attachment and regard, they unanimously voted 
to subscribe a sum equal to a million sterling to 



394 BAHIA, 

build a palace for the royal family, if the Prince 
would condescend to reside among them. 

The climate is always warm, but is refreshed 
by the sea-breeze, and is in some degree tempered 
by the long absence of the sun, the nights being 
of almost uniform length throughout the year. 
Though hotter than Rio de Janeiro, Bahia is con- 
sidered much more healthful, having a more airy 
situation, and being better supplied with water. 
The practice of bathing is very general, and most 
of the houses have conveniences for this purpose. 

Bahia is plentifully supplied with provisions. 
Beef and pork are in abundance; the former is 
decidedly bad, the latter tolerable. Fish are in 
great plenty and variety, and form a principal ar- 
ticle in the diet of the inhabitants. Fish, with 
sallad, is the general supper of almost all ranks ; 
even the rich desire nothing more for this repast 
in family. Numbers of retail shopkeepers, who 
sell wine, cheese, groceries, &c. buy fish and fry 
it, and afterwards retail it in small quantities. 
Poultry is in plenty, but not cheap ; vegetables, 
and pulse of every description, are in very great 
profusion. The markets are well supplied with 
all the tropical fruits, many of which are said to 
be in great perfection, particularly the pine, the 
mango, and the banana; the latter is esteemed 
the best in America. Preserved fruits are in 
great abundance, owing to the cheapness of sugar ; 
great varieties of them are sold in the streets, and 



BAHIA. 



395 



two or three preserved limes in a cup of syrup 
may be bought for less than a penny. Even the 
lower orders conclude the meanest dinner with this 
delicious delicacy. 

The soil of this capitania is peculiar, and is 
esteemed the best in Brazil for the growth of the 
sugar-cane. This advantage, and the conveni- 
ences arising from the numerous rivers that flow 
from the interior into the bay, have occasioned 
the establishment of many sugar plantations, un- 
doubtedly the finest in the country, which have 
produced immense quantities of that article. The 
soil most adapted to the plant, and held in the 
highest estimation, is a black greasy loam, a de- 
posit, containing a large quantity of decomposed 
vegetable matter. 

The opulent and best informed planters have 
imported steam-engines for the crushing of cane, 
which will probably prove very advantageous, 
and cheaper in many situations, as they can at all 
times be worked, and are as easily regulated as a 
water-mill. 

The mode of cultivating the cane has already 
been detailed. If planted in new soil, it is fit for 
cutting in fourteen months, but in old and poorer 
land it requires eighteen or twenty months. When 
ripe, the canes are cut and dressed by taking off 
the top leaves, &c. which afford excellent pro- 
vender for cattle ; they are then brought to the 
mill, which is composed of three wooden or iron 



396 



SUGAR-MAKING. 



cylinders,, moving on their axes in a perpendicular 
position, and between them the canes are re- 
peatedly passed until all the juice is expressed, 
and they are reduced to a mass of dry fibres. 

The cane-juice is conducted through spouts to a 
large boiler or clarifier, where a certain quantity 
of alkaline matter, called temper, is added to it*. 
Afterwards it is conducted to the largest of a 
range of boilers, consisting of three, or sometimes 
four, one less than another. The largest seldom 
contains more than one hundred gallons. Here 
the syrup boils for a certain time, and is conti- 
nually skimmed ; it is then laded to the next, where 
it continues to boil until more of the aqueous 
fluid is evaporated ; after which, it is laded into the 
third boiler, and is there sometimes sufficiently 
boiled without removing it into the fourth. They 
judge of its consistency by the touch ; a little of the 
syrup is taken between the thumb and finger, and 
if it forms threads, and breaks on being drawn about 
an inch, it is supposed to be boiled sufficientlyf . 
It then begins to granulate, and is gently laded into 
earthen pots of the form of a sugar-loaf, about 

* A lixivium of strong ashes is made, and a quantity of lime is put 
into it: or sometimes the ashes are mixed with a larger propor- 
tion of lime, and the clear fluid running from the mixture is added 
to the juice in various quantities, at the discretion of the negro who 
manages the process : respecting this temper various opinions prevail. 
Every negro has his peculiar mode of making, mixing, and applying it. 

t In skimming, lading, and managing the syrup during the opera- 
tion, the negroes display great dexterity. 



SUGAR MAKING. 



397 



two feet deep and ten inches in diameter at the 
open end, where, on cooling, it becomes concrete. 
In the lower end of each pot is a small hole, which 
at first is nearly closed ; but after the sugar be- 
gins to cool, it is unstopped, and a piece of cane 
is put in to admit the molasses to drain. Soon 
after the moulds are filled, they are removed into 
an airy room, where they are placed so that the 
molasses drain into a large cistern, from whence 
they are conveyed into the fermenting vats, which 
are recepticles for all the refuse of every descrip- 
tion in the sugar-house. In the process of fer- 
mentation much depends on the quality of the 
wood of which the vats are made ; some of them 
bring the liquor into a proper state for distillation 
two or three days sooner than others. 

The greatest part of the sugars made here are 
clayed, by a very simple operation, which consists 
merely in covering the sugar with very moist clay, 
the water from which percolates the mass, and 
carries with it the remaining molasses. When 
the earthy matter becomes dry, more is applied 
until the sugar is perfectly freed, and nearly 
white. This operation renders the article unfit 
for making loaf sugar. After remaining in the 
drying-house about six weeks, the moulds are 
placed with the large end downwards, and the 
sugar leaves them ; they are then beaten down to 
powder in large strong cases, constructed of four 
entire planks, and the two ends, generally about 
eight feet long, and about twenty-six inches 



398 



SUGAR MAKING. 



square*, holding from fifteen to sixteen hundred- 
weight. The cases, when filled, are nailed down, 
and are ready for shipping. 

The principal points to be attended to in mak- 
ing sugar are, first, that the canes be all ripe, and 
well cleaned from trash and leaves; next, that 
they be immediately crushed, and not suffered to 
lie in heaps to heat; and thirdly, that the rollers, 
and all the passages for the liquor, be well cleansed 
by washing as often as necessary. 

A greater quantity of sugar is shipped from 
Bahia than from all the other parts of Brazil 
united, and in general it is of a very good qua- 
lity ; that from certain plantations is particularly 
so. It is not however, esteemed of so strong a 
body as our best from the West Indiesf . 

The tobacco of this capitania is peculiar to it ; 
and, by an exclusive privilege, no other part of 
Brazil was allowed to cultivate the same sort. It 
has given rise to much commerce, and has en- 
riched many families. It was the most esteemed 
sort, not only in Portugal, but in Spain, and all 
her colonies, where it has been sold at great 
prices. Great quantities of it were consumed in 
Barbary; and on many parts of the coast of 

* Large trees are cut into planks of these dimensions for making the 
cases, which are preferred to hogsheads. 

t The West India sugars are not clayed, consequently much stronger 
and fit for refining and making loaves. 

It is much to be desired that the very excellent work, written by 
Bryan Edwards, upon stsgar making, and distilling rum, was in- 
troduced in Brazil. 



PRODUCE OF BAHIA. 399 

Guinea the demand for it was such that it was 
almost impossible to carry on trade for gold, ivoiy r 
gums, and oil without it. The mode of growing 
and manufacturing it is as follows : — First, a good 
piece of ground is prepared, the finer dressed the 
better; the seed is sown broad-cast, and when 
the plants are about six weeks or two months 
grown, they are transplanted into ground pre- 
pared as before. In eight or ten months they ar- 
rive at their full growth, and when ripe the leaves 
are taken from the stem, which frequently grows 
from four to seven feet high. They are laid upon 
the ground, or, in preference, upon any support 
which will preserve them from absorbing mois- 
ture, and admit a free circulation of air under- 
neath. When they become in a slight degree 
withered, they are twisted with a strong winch, 
the end of one leaf uniting with the other, 
and the twist is coiled into a roll weighing from 
thirty to forty pounds. By this operation the 
juice of the leaf is expressed, which is viscid, and 
when oxidated becomes of a black color, not un- 
like molasses. The tobacco, after this last ope-, 
ration, is fit for commerce. 

It is an object highly worthy the attention of the 
Portuguese government, to introduce other modes 
of curing tobacco. There can be no doubt that 
the soil and climate are congenial to it, and, were 
it properly prepared, it would probably equal any 
in Virginia, and become as great an article of 
commerce among the northern nations. Should 



400 



PRODUCE OF BAHIA. 



such a commerce be pursued, how many cargoes 
of this commodity alone would arrive in our ports^ 
and from thence be distributed to the different 
markets of Europe! 

Cotton has of late been grown here in consider- 
able quantities, and has been sent to England at 
nearly the same price with that grown in Pernam- 
buco, and its plantations are daily increasing and 
improving*. 

Here are many plantations of coffee, but it is not 
esteemed so fine as that from Rio de Janeiro/ 
Rice is produced in tolerable quantity, and its 
quality is superior: but the husk is so difficult to 
separate from the grain, that a great part is bruised 
in the operation, and is thus rendered of less 
value. The method of cleaning it is bad. Why 
not apply such mills as those used in Carolina, of* 
which there is now one working at Maranham by 
steam, that has improved the quality of rice so 
materially, that it now sells in Europe for nearly 
the same price as the North American. 

The beautiful dye-wood, called Brazil-wood, is 
shipped from this port and Pernambuco, of a 
quality much superior to that of Rio de Janeiro. 
This is one of the articles prohibited from general 

* It is considered bad policy to subject the raw material, as cotton, to 
a heavy duty, and very discouraging to planters, who must have large 
capitals employed, and who are greatly exposed to loss if the crops 
fail. Too much stimulus cannot be given to the growers; and they 
ought to be encouraged by a premium, rather than to pay a tax on the 
unmanufactured article. 



PRODUCE OF BAHIA. 401 

commerce, being the property of the royal house- 
hold. Fustic in small quantities is brought from 
the interior. 

The indigo made here is so far inferior to that 
imported from India as scarcely to be worth men- 
tioning. It is owing to the great quantity of lime 
in it. There is a general opinion among all who 
make indigo, that some part of the process is very 
prejudicial to the health of the negroes, who fre- 
quently become sick, and often die while employed 
in it, which is most probably owing to deleterious 
gas which escapes during fermentation. 

Bahia has a considerable trade with all the ports 
on the coast, from whence are exported various 
articles, the prices of which are continually fluc- 
tuating. A great number of fine brigs and smaller 
vessels are employed in this trade. 

Produce to a considerable amount was exported 
to the River Plata, from whence a great quantity 
of hides and tallow were returned. 

The imports to Bahia from Europe consist in 
general of the same articles with those specified 
In the description of Rio de Janeiro. In this cd- 
pitania was found the largest piece of native cop- 
per that has ever appeared, being in weight up- 
wards of 2,000lbs. It was discovered several 
years ago by some persons who were preparing to 
wash for gold. 

To- the north of Bahia are the capitanias of Per- 
nambuco, Seara, and Maranham, the interior of 
which is very little known, though some parts of the 

DD 



402 



PRODUCE OF BAHIA. 



coast are tolerably populous. Pernambuco, though 
situated nearly in the latitude of eight degrees, 
is considered healthy. The town is built on a ris- 
ing ground, much exposed, and constantly refresh-^ 
ed by the sea-breeze. It has many excellent edi- 
fices, and is supposed to contain more opulent mer- 
chants, in proportion to population, than any other 
place in Brazil. It produces vanilla, cocoa, and 
a considerable quantity of sugar; but the chief 
article of its trade is cotton, which for many 
years had the reputation of being superior to any 
other, but of late it has much deteriorated, from 
neglect, either in the growth, or in the gathering 
the pods and cleaning it from the seeds, or pro- 
bably from general inattention to the whole ma- 
nagement of it. The cotton, when ready for pack- 
ing, is pressed into raw hides, so hard as to form 
very heavy packages. The operation is superin- 
tended by an officer authorised by Government, 
who puts a stamp upon it describing its quality, 
which enables the shipper to pass it through the 
custom-house, where it pays a heavy duty on ex- 
portation. 

The district of Seara is but little known, it en- 
joys an extensive trade in cotton and sugar. Ma- 
ranham, though a very small district, has of late 
raised itself considerably into eminence by the cul- 
tivation of cotton, the other productions are the 
same as those of Pernambuco. Cotton and rice 
are the staple articles, with some cocoa and sugar, 
numerous cargoes of which are annually exported. 



PARA. 



403 



The dye-wood of these districts is considered 
excellent, and is sometimes shipped from this 
coast, The tree which produces the annatto is 
very common, and the seeds from which it is wash- 
ed are of the best quality, and might be obtained 
in great abundance. Cocoa may be grown in any 
quantity ; capsicum, pimento, ginger, &c. are very 
plentiful. 

The markets are well stored with fish and meat, 
the latter very indifferent in its kind. Poultry, 
vegetables, and fruits, are in great abundance. 

St. Louis, the capital, is built upon an island, 
and is esteemed healthy, though so near the 
equator. Several rivers run into the bay, which 
afford an eligible conveyance for the produce of 
the vicinity. The island is said to contain 20,000 
inhabitants, and the population in the rivers is by 
no means inconsiderable. 

The capitania of Para, is considered the largest 
in Brazil: its extent is imperfectly known. The 
principal town is called Belem, where the governor 
resides, and, its government being superior, it 
may be said to preside over several of the neigh- 
bouring districts. The land is low and unhealthy, 
the great river, or port, is much interrupted by 
shoals and currents. It is a dangerous coast, and 
exposed to a continual swell, so as to render it ha- 
zardous for ships to anchor upon it, as they roll 
so much that they not only endanger their masts, 
but are subject to strain. 

The town of Para is situated on the river To- 



404 



PARA, 



cantines, the navigation of which is difficult, and 
is seldom attempted, except by small craft: the 
Confiance sloop of war with great care sailed up 
it, and anchored near the town, several days pre- 
vious to the expedition against Cayenne. The 
town may contain ten thousand inhabitants, who 
are in general very poor, probably from want of 
commerce: for although the great rivers Tocan- 
tins and Amazons have their source, the latter in 
Peru, and the former in the capitania of Goyaz, 
though they receive almost millions of inferior 
streams in their course through immense tracts of 
territory, yet they are not productive of any com- 
merce of consequence. The exports from Para 
consist of a considerable quantity of rice, cocoa, 
cotton, drugs, hides of various sorts, woods, and 
a few other articles. The trade is much on the 
increase, and it is to be hoped, that from its vast 
internal communications, it may be greatly ex- 
tended, and more ships loaded for Europe, as a 
cargo is generally rather precarious, and sometimes 
difficult to be obtained. 

The climate is hot, as may well be supposed, 
from its lying so near the equinoctial. Thunder, 
with lightning and rain, occurs generally every af- 
ternoon, when the air becomes more cool, and 
the heat less disagreeable. 

On conversing with creditable men who had 
lived many years at Para, Maranham, and upon 
the coast, I never heard them relate the strange 
accounts of the Indians which Estalla has related. 



PARA. 



405 



As a Spaniard, he seems to be amusing the public 
with the actions of his own countrymen in Chili, 
and to aim, in common with all the writers of his 
nation, to prejudice the world against the Portu- 
guese. 

The capitania of Goyaz is bounded chiefly by 
Minas Geraes on the east, Matto Grosso on the. 
west, and Para on the north. Its greatest extent 
in length is from lat. 6° south to 21°. Villa Boa, 
its principal town, is situated in lat. 16° south, 
about eighty leagues to the west of Paracatu, from 
whence there is a good road. Here is a permuta- 
tion-house, where all the gold found in the capi- 
tania is permuted. The governor is elected for 
three years, after which he is generally appointed 
to Bahia or Minas Geraes. In the capitania are 
many gold mines, some of which produce gold of 
a very fine quality. Diamonds have been found 
in some parts, which are different in their appear- 
ance from those found in Cerro do Frio,having more 
brilliancy on their exterior; but when cut, they 
are not in general of so pure a w ater, though of 
a very desirable size. As this fine district is so 
distant from the coast, it has very little commerce 
in any of its productions, except the valuable sub- 
stances above mentioned, and cattle, which are 
bred on the frontiers ; also some cotton, and occa- 
sionally a few particular articles, which are sent to 
Rio de Janeiro. The mules on the return-journey, 
are all loaded with salt, iron, cheap cotton-prints, 
woollens (particularly baizes), hats, fire-arms, 



406 



PARA. 



powder, and shot, and a variety of artificers' tools. 
When any of the inhabitants have any thing pe- 
culiarly precious to dispose of, they generally take 
it to Rio de Janeiro, and lay out the proceeds 
chiefly in the purchase of negroes, (they being at 
all times the first object), iron, salt, and other com- 
modities. 

The population is very small in comparison to 
the extent of the district, but is likely to be in- 
creased by new settlers ; although the indigent in 
Villa Rica, Tejuco, and other places in the min- 
ing country, are little inclined to remove out of 
society, even for the chance of riches: in fact, 
having no negroes fit to work, and being totally 
destitute of exertion themselves, all situations are 
to them indifferent. These are by no means the 
class of people who can be styled adventurers. 
The poorer class of inhabitants who have obtain- 
ed a small portion of gold, sometimes make a jour- 
ney to Paracatu or Villa Rica, to purchase what 
negroes they want. This capitania has been very 
little explored, and scarcely any thing is known of 
its productions beyond what is above stated; in- 
deed, it is not unreasonable to presume that the 
soil contains the same variety of metals as the dis- 
trict of Minas Geraes. Many persons from thence, 
with whom I have conversed, speak of it with delight 
as being a fine country, having numerous rivers 
well stored with fish, woods abounding with fine 
birds, which afford excellent diversion to the sports- 
man; also a great variety of animals. 



MATTO GROSSO. 407 

This capitania communicates withMatto Grosso, 
S. Paulo, and Para, by rivers which are naviga- 
ble, though frequently interrupted by falls. 



CHAP. XVIII. 

Geographical Description of the Capitania of 
Matto Grosso*. 

RESPECTING this extensive portion of Brazil, 
I had an opportunity of gaining considerable in- 
formation, being intimately acquainted with the 
commanding officer of the military force stationed 
there, Colonel Martines, an engineer of extraor- 
dinary merit, who had made four journeys to Matto 
Grosso, and had resided there some years. He 
was kind enough to give me a description of his 
route from S. Paulo to the capital of that pro- 
vince, and promised me a chart of the navigable 
rivers and roads from thence to Para, which had 
been formed by officers of his party, together with 

* During the past few years, the Governors of Matto Grosso have 
used every effort to shorten the distance from these remote provinces to 
the sea ports, by making roads, cutting down woods, and forming estab- 
lishments to accommodate passengers, so that canoes, &c. may be trans- 
ported over land, and make straight-forward communications from one 
river to another, which has shortened this journey at least two months. 



408 MAT TO GROSSO. 

documents in illustration of it. But lie being 
hastily called away on a particular service, was 
prevented from executing his promise, and I could 
only profit by the verbal description which he re- 
peatedly gave me. This description, as proceed- 
ing from an officer of such undoubted veracity, it 
was my intention to give to the public ; but, after 
my return to England, I was agreeably surprised 
to find a MS. nearly corresponding with it, in the 
hands of that eminent geographer, Mr. Arrowsmith, 
who has liberally permitted me to make use of it. 
To his excellent map, compiled according to the 
latest MS. charts communicated from Brazil, I beg 
leave to refer the reader for an accurate delinea- 
tion of the particular localities here detailed. 

This extensive capitania is separated from the 
neighbouring territory belonging to Spain by the 
intervening channels of the rivers Paraguay, Ma- 
deira, Mamore, and Guapore, which form a broad 
and natural trench around it of five hundred leagues 
in circuit, by means of which, and by upwards of 
thirty rivers that empty themselves into it, a com- 
munication is opened through many and distant 
points with the interior of Brazil. This capitania, 
from its geographical position, has ever been con- 
sidered as the grand outwork of Brazil, not only 
because it covers the interior divisions of this vast 
portion of the new continent, which is the cradle 
of its greatest rivers, branching in innumerable 
channels, and enriched with great and untouched 



THE RIVER GRANDE. 409 

treasures ; but also because, by this extensive chan- 
nel, the Portuguese are enabled to penetrate to the 
establishments of Spain in Peru. 

The River Araguaya, or Grande. 

The eastern boundary of the capitania of Matto 
Grosso, separating it from that of Goyaz, is the 
river Grande, two hundred leagues from Villa 
Bella. This river, known in the state of Para, 
by the name of Araguaya only, which is conferred 
on it by the numerous nations inhabiting its banks, 
has its remotest source in lat. 19°, and running 
north and south, intersected at various points by 
the meridian of 52° 30', flows in lat. 6° into the 
Tocantines, wherein it loses its name; and both, 
thus united in one ample stream, continue their 
course for three hundred and seventy leagues, and fall 
into the southern estuary of the mighty river Ama- 
zons in lat 1° 40' between the two celebrated bays 
of Marapata and Limseiro, opposite to the great 
island of Joannes, or Murajo, and twenty leagues 
west of the city of Para. The river das Mortes, 
which rises far to the west of the Rio Grande, and 
forms its highest western branch, running for a 
considerable space to the east, and afterwards 
to the north, with an entire course of 150 
leagues, till it enters the Araguaya in lat. 12°, is 
entirely within the capitania of Matto Grosso. 

The river Araguaya is peopled by many tribes 
of warlike savages; it abounds in all the produc- 
tions peculiar to the state of Para, and affords 



410 



THE RIVER CHINGU. 



an uninterrupted navigation from the city of that 
name, and by the river, with the centre of Brazil 
and the capitania of Matto Grosso. The same is 
practicable by the river das Mortes, and other wes- 
tern branches which enter the Rio Grande below. 
These branches, no doubt, contain unexplored 
mines ; for there is no physical reason why gold 
should be found in the rivers that enter the Ara- 
guaya on the eastern side, (where, besides Villa 
Boa, are situated several villages belonging to the 
capitania of Goyaz), and not likewise in thebranches 
on the opposite side. It is positively known that 
the river das Mortes is auriferous, and hence it is 
fair to conclude that the smaller streams which 
flow into it are much more so, for the nearer the 
source the greater is the quantity of gold found. 
The mines of one of its western branches were 
abandoned, not from the absence or scarcity of 
the precious metal, but because, being remote 
from the road, and in the midst of a swamp peo- 
pled by savages, the few settlers could not get 
conveniently supplied with arms, implements, and 
other articles. 

In some of these mines gold above twenty-three 
carats has been found, but the greater part is only 
of seventeen, and of a green color, being com- 
bined with a large portion of silver. 

The River Chingu, 

the clearest, and one of the largest and most co- 
pious branches of the Amazons, which it enters 



THR RIVER CHINGU. 411 

on the south side, after a course of three hundred 
leagues, in lat. 1° 42', and long. 53°, seventy leagues 
west of the city of Para, in a direct line, but one 
hundred of navigation, is confined in a great part 
of its course to the capitania of Matto Grosso. 

Its remote sources supply, not only the lands in 
which rise also the branches and rivers form- 
ing to the east and north the upper part of the 
river Cuiaba, but also that large space north of 
the river das Mortes, intersected by the great 
road from Goyaz, extending as far as the river 
Porrudos. There is a tradition among the guides 
of the Sutaos* of Pira and the Indians established 
on the banks of the Chingu, that, after mounting 
the first large falls of this river, much gold was 
found in it, of which the Jesuits, those great ex- 
plorers, obtained a large quantity. It is probable 
that the now unknown Minas dos Martirios, fa- 
mous as the first discovery made by Bart°. Bueno, 
and of which I have heard repeated mention in 
S. Paulo, exist only on some of the many branches 
that form the river Chingu. For this enterpris- 
ing man, after having discovered those mines, re- 
turned to S. Paulo in order to engage negroes, 
and provide implements for extracting those 
treasures, which to this day continue to elude the 
searches of others, retraced his course ; but pass- 
ing by the mines of Cuiaba, which had been just 



* Sutad. This is a place understood to be uninhabitable for Euro- 
peans, being the residence of uncivilized Indians, and covered with 
almost impenetrable woods. 



412 



THE RIVER CHINGU. 



discovered and were found wonderfully produc- 
tive, he was there deserted by the greatest part 
of his followers. Fearing that he should lose the 
rest also, he turned eastward, and, in his anxiety 
to avoid the mines of Cuiaba, got still farther 
from those of dos Martirios, until he lost himself 
in the immense wastes, wherein he wandered 
many months, and at length accidentally found 
the mines of Goyaz, which his father had before 
seen. These, like all the rest, proved very pro- 
ductive at the beginning. 

This rich and new discovery soon diverted the 
attention of adventurers from the preceding; and 
the route to the Minas dos Martirios, together with 
their positive situation, have long been lost in a vague 
tradition of their existence. As the place was ex- 
plored without the assistance of a compass, or any of 
the means necessary for defining its geographical 
position, there could not but prevail much doubt 
and uncertainty respecting it. Now there is no 
such discovery on the river Tocantines, which com- 
prehends the whole capitania of Goyaz : the first 
account places it near a river, which indeed runs 
into the Amazons, like the Tocantines, but which 
was sought for passing near the upper branches, 
and west of the river Cuiaba, a situation in which 
the river Chingu alone is found ; other explorers 
place it on the Araguaya, which renders it useless 
to look there, for it is more than two hundred 
leagues north-west of the place sought. This is 
substantiated by a fact of later date, which is as 



THE RIVER TaPAJOS. 



413 



follows : — A grandson of Bart°. Bueno, under the 
direction of an ancient journal of this discovery, 
describing the route to it, descended by the river 
das Mortes, and entered some extensive plains on 
its western bank, on which he travelled westward 
for some days, when he arrived at a plain covered 
with white Mangaba trees, which were designated 
in the journal. From this place they had a sight 
of some detached high mountains between the 
north and west, three of which were of the figure 
specified, and indicated the situation of the Minas 
dos Martirios. An unexpected attack of the In- 
dians, in which the chief and many others of the 
adventurers were killed, dispersed the party, and 
frustrated the object at the moment when it ap- 
peared to be already attained. 

The river abounds in various products : cocoa 
is in plenty; there are some spices, and various 
indigenous fruits. 

The River Tapajos 

is the third which derives its copious sources, 
flowing through numerous large branches, from 
the capitania of Matto Grosso. It runs north 
between the Madeira and the Chingu for three 
hundred leagues, flowing into the Amazons in 
lat. 2° 24' 50", and long. 55°, which is the geogra- 
phical position of the town of Santarem, situated 
at its mouth one hundred and eighteen leagues 
from the city of Para, and one hundred and sixty- 
two by the shortest navigation. The river Tapa- 



414 



THE RIVER TAPAJ0S. 



jos rises in the plains of the Parexis, so called 
from an Indian nation which inhabits them. These 
plains occupy a vast space, not level, but formed 
by undulating heaps of sand and light earth, re- 
sembling large waves. The spectator who is in the 
midst of them ever sees before him a distant and 
extended mount; he advances towards it by a 
gentle and long declivity, traverses the plain, and 
advances by an ascent equally gentle until he 
gains imperceptibly the heights he saw ; another 
eminence then presents itself, and he proceeds 
with the same recurring circumstances. The soil 
of these wide plains is sandy, and so light that 
loaded beasts in passing sink into it so much as 
to impede their progress. The pasturage is poor, 
consisting of a grass composed of wiry stalks a 
foot high, and small rough lancet-shaped leaves ; 
the animals in grazing pluck them up with the 
roots covered with sand; on this account the 
passage by land is difficult and tedious; though, 
on finding any of the streams, which abound in 
these plains, there is grass and other mild herbage, 
which afford tolerable pasturage. The plains of 
Parexis form, to a large extent and breadth, the 
summit of those high mountains ! of the same 
name, and are situated on some of the most ele- 
vated land in all Brazil; for from them descend 
the two greatest rivers of South America, — the 
Paraguay, as well in its own numerous heads, as 
in its great and higher branches, the Jauru, the 
Sypotuba, and the Cuiaba, — and the Madeira, 



THE RIVER SUMIDOURO. 415 

which is the largest river that flows into the Ama- 
zons on the south. 

The Tapajos, flowing in a direction contrary to 
that of the above-named river, rises in these 
mountains. Its westermost branch is the river 
Arinos, which intwines its sources with those of 
the Cuiaba at a short distance from those of the 
Paraguay. The river Arinos has a western branch, 
called Rio Negro, from which, to the point w T here 
it is navigable, there is a passage of eight leagues 
over land to the river Cuiaba, below its upper and 
greatest falls; and, in like manner, from the Ari- 
nos itself the passage to the same part of the river 
Cuiaba is twelve leagues. 

The Arinos is auriferous at its springs, and in 
1747 the mines of Santa Isabel were discovered in 
it, but immediately abandoned, as not answering 
the expectations created in those fortunate times 
by the great quantities of gold drawn from the 
mines of Cuiaba and Matto Grosso. The lands 
were infested by dangerous tribes of warlike In- 
dians. 

The river Sumidouro empties itself on the south 
side into the Arinos, and its source being a short 
distance from that of the Sypotuba, a large west- 
ern branch of the Paraguay, there is an easy com- 
munication from one river to the other. The fa- 
mous discoverer, Joao de Souza Echevedo, in 
1746, made this passage: he descended the river 
Cuiaba, and sailing up the Sypotuba to its very 
sources, he there passed his canoes over land into 



416 



THE RIVER JURUENA. 



the Sumidouro, which he navigated, following the 
current, notwithstanding that the river runs for 
some distance under ground, and thence derives 
its appellation. After this, he passed into the 
Arinos, and thence into the Tapajos, where he 
surmounted the falls, though more difficult than 
those of the Madeira, and discovered many symp- 
toms of gold in the river of Tres Barras, a west- 
ern arm of the Tapajos, a hundred leagues below 
the springs of the Arinos. West of the Sumidouro, 
and in the plains of Parexis, the river Xacurutina 
has its origin to the north of the river Jauru: it is 
famous for a lake, situated in one of its branches, 
where every year is produced a great quantity of 
salt, which is a constant cause of war among the 
Indians. Some navigators make the Xacurutina 
an arm of the Arinos, and others of the Sumi- 
douro. In these plains of Parexis, terminating 
to the west in the high mountains so denominated, 
which, extending two hundred leagues in a north- 
north-west direction, front the Guapore at a dis- 
tance of fifteen or twenty leagues, springs the river 
J uruena, between the heads of the Sarare and the 
Guapore, a league east of the former and two west 
of the latter. This river, the largest and wester- 
most branch of the Tapajos, rises in lat. 14° 42', 
twenty leagues north-north-east of Yilla Bella, and, 
running north one hundred and twenty leagues, 
flows into the Arinos, and with it forms the bed 
of the Tapajos. 

The Juruena receives on both sides many small 



RIVER NAVIGATION. 417 

rivers, those from the west affording many practi- 
cable communications by short passages over-land 
with the Guapore and its confluent streams. The 
uppermost of these, which is nearest to Villa 
Bella, is the Securiu, navigable even there, and 
almost to its source. This is a league north of 
the principal source of the river Sarare, which, a 
quarter of a league from its head, is three yards 
deep and five broad. Thus sailing up the Juruena, 
into the Securiu, and making from its source the 
short land-passage of a league to the Sarare, the 
navigator may reach Yilla Bella in less than eight 
days, without any other obstacle than that of the 
fall formed by the Sarare, three leagues below its 
source, where it precipitates itself from the Pa- 
rexis mountains on the western slope : this diffi- 
culty may be surmounted in detail, or by at once 
passing the four leagues, for the Sarare from its 
fall becomes immediately navigable to the capital 
of Matto Grosso. A league north of the source 
of the Sarare is the first head of the river Galera, 
the second confluent of the Guapore below Villa 
Bella; and a league east of the same head rises 
the Ema, a western branch of the Securiu, afford- 
ing equal facility of communication. The Galera 
has three other sources north of the first in the 
plains of the Parexis, all ample streams; the last 
and most northerly, called Sahara, is distant little 
more than a league from the source of the river 
Juina, a large western branch of the Juruena. 
Thus by the Juina and the Securiu, with a cross- 
EE 



41$ RIVER NAVIGATION. 

ing of five or six leagues, so as to pass the falls of 
the Galera on the western scarp of the moun- 
tain, the Juruena may be connected with the Gua- 
pore. 

Lastly, the Juruena may be navigated to its up- 
per fall, which is within two leagues of its own 
source. The fall is formed by two small leaps, the 
river being, even in this part, thirty yards broad 
and of great depth ; from hence downwards it flows 
with great rapidity, yet its falls are not greater, 
and are more passable, than those of the Arinos. 
With the same circumstances, and by similar short 
land-passages, a communication is practicable from 
the Juruena with the rivers Guapore and Jauru, 
which are to the eastward of it, although these 
two rivers precipitate themselves from the south 
side of the Parexis mountains, where they rise, 
and immmediately form numerous and extensive 
falls. 

From the geographical position of the Tapajos, 
it is evident that this river facilitates navigation 
and commerce from the maritime city of Para to 
the mines of Matto Grosso and Cuiaba, by means 
of its large branches, the J uruena and Arinos ; if 
the short passages over-land should be found trou- 
blesome to drag canoes, the goods may be forward- 
ed immediately on mules. This navigation to 
Matto Grosso is at least two hundred leagues 
shorter than that performed through the Madeira 
and Guapore ; it is consequently less tedious and 
expensive, and equally advantageous to the mines 



RIVER NAVIGATION. 



419 



of Cuiaba. The navigation of the river Tapajos 
might lead also to new discoveries in the vast un- 
explored parts of this river, up to its entrance 
into the plains of the Parexis, and their products 
might add to those of the extensive regions on the 
Amazons. Besides this, the river is known to be 
auriferous for a great part of its course : it is known 
also, that, passing from the Juruena into its west- 
ern arm, the river Camarare, and the heads of the 
river Jamary or das Candeas, which, running in 
broad streams down the eastern side of the Parexis 
mountains, enters the Madeira, there are mines 
which have inspired great hopes, though but lately 
seen, after a fruitless search of twenty years. 

The River Paraguay 
has its remote springs to the west of the heads of 
the Arinos in latitude 13°, and, after a southern 
course of six hundred leagues, enters the ocean 
under the appellation of the Rio de la Plata. The 
heads of the Paraguay are seventy leagues north- 
east from Villa Bella, and forty leagues north from 
Cuiaba, and divided into many branches, and al- 
ready forming complete rivers, which, as they run 
south, successively unite, and form the channel of 
this immense river, which is immediately naviga- 
ble. To the west, a short distance from the main 
source of the Paraguay, is that of the Sypotuba, 
which disembogues on its west bank in lat. 15° 50', 
after a course of sixty leagues. In the upper part 
of this river, and near its western branch called 



420 



RIVER NAVIGATION. 



the Jurubauba, was formerly a gold-mine, which 
was worked with considerable profit ; but the su- 
perior advantages derivedfrom others subsequently 
explored in Matto Grosso and Cuiaba, caused it 
to be abandoned, and its site is not now known 
with certainty. The little river Cabaral, also au- 
riferous, enters the Paraguay on the west side, 
three leagues below the mouth of the Sypotuba. 
On the banks of the latter lives a nation of In- 
dians, called Barbados, from the distinction pecu- 
liar to themselves, among all the Indian nations, 
of having large beards. 

The Boriars Araviras inhabit the banks of the 
Cabaral: they are a mixture of two different na- 
tions, who in the year 1797 sent four chiefs of 
their tribe, accompanied by their mother, to Villa 
Bella, in order to solicit the friendship of the Por- 
tuguese. The nation called Parrarione lives in 
their neighbourhood, close by the Sypotuba. A 
league below the mouth of the Cabaral, on the east 
bank of the Paraguay, is Villa Maria, a small and 
useful establishment, founded in 1778. Seven 
leagues south of Villa Maria, and on the west bank 
of the Paraguay, the river Jauru disembogues into 
it in lat. 16° 24'. This river is remarkable for the 
boundary-mark erected at its mouth in 1754, as 
well as for being entirely Portuguese, together 
with the lands on its south bank, and bordering 
on the Spanish possessions. It rises in the plains 
of the Parexis in lat. 14° 42', and long. 58° 30', and 
running south to lat. 15° 45', the situation of the 



RIVER NAVIGATION. 421 

Register of the same name, it there turns to 
the south-east for thirty-four leagues, till, by an 
entire course of sixty leagues, it reaches its 
junction with the Paraguay. There are salt-water- 
pits, which in part have supplied Matto Grosso, 
ever since its foundation, with salt : they are in the 
interior of the country, seven leagues from the 
Register, and extend to a place called Salina de Al- 
meida, from the name of the person who first em- 
ployed himself in these works. 

These salt-pits are situated along the margins 
of broad marshy bottoms, in which are found fish 
of the same kind with those in the Paraguay. The 
Salina de Almeida is not far distant from the bank 
of Jauru, and the great quantity of saline liquid 
found in it continues three leagues farther to the 
south, where a junction is formed with another 
from the west, called Pitas; westward of which 
are high and dry plains, where are found numerous 
large circles, formed by a species of palm called 
Carandas. These plains terminate nine leagues 
west of the Salina de Almeida, in a large pool 
or marsh, called Paopique, which runs to the 
south. 

The confluence of the Jauru with the Paraguay 
is a point of much importance: it guards and 
covers the great road between Villa Bella, Cuiaba, 
and their intermediate establishments, and in the 
same manner commands the navigation of both 
the rivers, and defends the entrance into the in- 



422 



RIVER NAVIGATION. 



terior of the latter capitania. The Paraguay from 
this place has a free navigation upwards, almost 
to its sources, which are scarcely seventy leagues 
distant, with no other impediment than a large 
fall. These sources are said to contain diamonds. 

The mark placed at the mouth of the J auru is a 
pyramid of heautiful marble, brought to this dis- 
tant point from Lisbon. It bears inscriptions 
commemorative of the treaty between the courts 
of Spain and Portugal, by which the respective 
territories, of which it stands as the boundary, 
were defined. 

The lofty chain of mountains, which extends 
from the sources of the Paraguay near its eastern 
bank, border the river opposite the mouth of the 
Jauru, and are terminated seven leagues below it 
by the Morro Escalvado in lat. 16° 43'. Eastward 
of this mount or point, all is marsh, and nine 
leagues below it there flows into the east side of 
the Paraguay a deep stream or river, called Rio 
Novo, discovered in 1786, which may hereafter 
afford a navigation to near St. Pedro d'El Rey, 
when the aquatic plants that obstruct its channel 
are removed. The most distant sources of this 
river are the rivulets of Sta. Anna, Bento jGromes, 
and others which cross the great road of Cuiaba 
to the west of Cocaes. In lat. 17° 33' the. west 
banks of the Paraguay become mountainous at 
the north point of the Serra da Insua, which, 
three leagues to the south, makes a deep break to 



RIVER NAVIGATION. 



423 



form the mouth of the lake Gaiba. This lake ex- 
tends westward, and there is a broad canal of four 
leagues in extent, which comes from the north, 
communicating from the above lake to that of 
Uberava, somewhat larger than the Gaiba, situated 
exactly contiguous to the Serra da Insua, on its 
north side. Six leagues and a half below the 
mouth of the Gaiba, and opposite this mountain- 
ous bank of the Paraguay, is the mouth of the 
St. Loureneo, formerly called Porrudos. Twenty* 
six leagues above this the river Cuiaba enters its 
western bank in lat. 17° 20', and long. 57° 5': these 
two rivers are of great extent; that of Loureneo 
has its sources in lat. 15°, forty leagues east of the 
town of Cuiaba, receiving (besides the branches 
crossed by the road from Goyaz) other great 
streams on its east side, such as the Paraiba or 
Piquiri, which receives the Jaquari and the Iti- 
quira, all of moderate size, and navigable. The 
Itiquira has been navigated to its heads, from 
whence the canoes were dragged over-land to the 
Sucuriu, which falls into the Parana four leagues 
below the mouth of the river Tiete on the oppo- 
site side. The rivers Itiquira and Sucuriu were 
found to have fewer and smaller falls than the 
Taquari, and the land-passage is much shorter 
and more convenient than that of the Camapuao, 
so that this navigation is preferable to that by the 
two last-mentioned rivers : it is attended by only 
two obstacles, many Indians, and a want of pro- 
visions. 



424? RIVER NAVIGATION. 

The navigation to the town of Cuiaba by the 
river of that name, from its above-mentioned con- 
fluence, is short and easy : in the first ten leagues, 
after passing the two small islands of Ariacuni 
and Tarumus, occurs a large plantation of bana- 
nas, formed on an embankment on the east side 
of the river. Three leagues above this place the 
Guacho-uassu enters the Cuiaba by its east bank, 
and on the same side, seven leagues farther, the 
Guacho-mirim. From this point the river winds 
in a north-east direction, eleven leagues to the 
island of Pirahim, and from thence makes a large 
bend to the east, receiving numerous streams, and 
passes the town of Cuiaba, which is situated a 
mile to the eastward of it. This town is ninety- 
six leagues to the east of Villa Bella, and the 
same distance from the confluence of its river with 
the Paraguay. It is large, and, together with 
its dependencies, may at present contain 30,000 
souls. It is well provided with meat, fish, fruits, 
and all sorts of vegetables, at a much cheaper rate 
than at the sea-ports. Their country is well 
adapted for cultivation, and has rich mines, but 
in some places little water to work them in dry 
weather. They were discovered in 1718, and 
have been estimated to produce annually above 
twenty arrobas of goldj of extremely fine quality. 
These mines have produced an enormous quantity 
of gold compared with the thinness of the popu- 
lation, and the want of means, machinery, &c. 
for working them. 



RIVER NAVIGATION. 425 

Twenty leagues south-west of the town of 
Cuiaba is the settlement of St. Pedro d'El Rey, 
the largest of all the adjacent settlements, and 
contains full 2,000 inhabitants. It is situated 
near the western side of the rivulet Bento Gomes, 
which, at the distance of a league and a half 
south of the settlement, forms a large bay, 
called Rio de Janeiro. The river Cuiaba has its 
sources forty leagues above the town, and its 
banks are cultivated through the greater part of 
its extent, including fourteen leagues below the 
town, down the stream. Four leagues below 
the principal mouth of the river Porrudos, the 
Paraguay is bordered by the mountains that sepa- 
rate it from Gaiba on its western bank, and in 
this place they obtain the appellation of 8 err a das 
Pedras de Amolar, from being composed of a 
stone of which whet-stones are made. This is the 
only spot which is not inundated by the floods of 
the river, and is therefore much visited . by the 
canoes that navigate it. These Serras terminate 
two leagues to the south in those of the Dourados, 
immediately below which there is a channel on the 
west side of the Paraguay, which, piercing be- 
tween two high detached mounts, called Cheines, 
leads to the lake Mendiuri, six leagues long, and 
the largest on the Paraguay. 

From the Dourados the Paraguay runs south- 
ward to the Serras of Albuquerque, where it 
touches directly on the northern point, on which 
is situated a town of that name. These Serras 



426 



RIVER NAVIGATION. 



form a compact square of ten leagues, and contain 
much calcareous stone ; the land is considered the 
best on either side the Paraguay, from the river 
downwards, and only equalled by that on the 
western margins of the lakes Mandiuriand Gaiba. 
From Albuquerque the Paraguay turns to the 
east, skirting its Serras, which terminate at the 
end of six leagues in the Serra do Rabicho, op- 
posite which, on the north bank of the river, is 
situated the lower southern mouth of the Para- 
guay-mirim. This is an arm of the Paraguay, 
which, terminating here, forms an island fourteen 
leagues in length from north to south : it is the 
usual channel for canoes in times of inundation. 
From the mouth of the Paraguay-mirim the river 
takes a southerly direction to the mouth of the 
Taquari, navigated annually by flotillas of canoes 
and other craft, which come from S. Paulo to 
Cuiaba, and even as far as the Register of Jauru, 
when their destination happens to be Villa Bella, 

As this navigation is an object of great import- 
ance, from its connecting two distinct districts, 
the following compendious description of the 
route pursued in it may not prove uninteresting ; 
it is abstracted from the diary of a man of science, 
who performed the journey a few years ago, in the 
month of October, when the Paraguay begins to 
retire to its own channel. The description may 
commence at the Taquari, as the voyage from 
thence to Cuiaba and the Jauru has already been 
detailed. The largest of the many mouths of the 



RIVER NAVIGATION. 



427 



Taquari in the Paraguay is in lat. 19° 15', and 
long. 54°. In the first ten leagues of navigation, 
the channel of the river is lost, as it crosses some 
large plains, covered with water to the depth of 
several feet. This is contiguous to Taquari, a 
place where the river is much confined. 

From this place it is twenty leagues to the rest- 
ing-place of Allegre, in lat. 18° 12', and this space 
contains, on both banks of the Taquari, many 
entrances into the paths, which lead in time of the 
floods to various distant places on the Paraguay, 
Porrudos, and Cuiaba. From this resting-place 
there are thirty leagues of navigation, on the course 
of the river east to the fall of Barra, where it is 
impeded and unnavigable above a mile, though a 
part of it may be passed in half-loaded and part 
of it in empty canoes. At the head of this fall 
the river Cochim enters the Taquari, and the na- 
vigation here quits the latter for the Cochim. At 
its mouth it is twenty fathoms broad, and a league 
upwards receives on its south bank the Taquari- 
mirim, a river nearly as broad as itself. A little 
above this confluence is situated its first fall, which 
is called da Ilka, and may be passed in empty 
canoes. A league above is the fall of Giquitaya, 
passed with half cargoes, and a league and a quar- 
ter farther, that of the Choradeira, the current of 
which is very rapid. Beyond this is the fall of 
Avanhandava-uassu, where the cargoes are car- 
ried over-land for half a mile, and the canoes are 
conducted through a difficult channel of three 



428 RIVER NAVIGATION. 

fathoms, at the end of which they are pushed 
over the rocks in order to pass the head or cata- 
ract. Half a league above is the fall do Jauru, so 
called from a river of that name, which enters the 
Cochim above it, on the north side. From this 
confluence upwards there occur seven falls in the 
course of five leagues and a half, in the midst of 
which distance the river cuts and is enchannelled 
in a mountain, through which it runs smoothly, 
although scarcely five fathoms broad, and receives 
on its south side the stream of the Paredao, which 
is said to be auriferous. Half a league above the 
last of the seven falls before-mentioned are three 
successive ones, called Treslrmaos, and at an equal 
distance above them, that of Das Furnas, which is 
passed laboriously with canoes unloaded. From 
this place the navigation continues on the Cochim 
through a succession of falls, until that river is 
joined by the Camapuao, eight yards in breadth 
at its mouth. From this point to its junction 
with the Taquari, the course of the Cochim is 
thirty leagues. 

The river Camapua, along which the navigation 
is continued, becomes narrower on passing some 
rivulets that flow into it, and so shallow, as to 
be in general scarcely two feet deep, and the ca- 
noes are rather dragged than navigated along its 
sandy bed. After two leagues of this labor, they 
quit the Camapuao-uassu, leaving it on the right 
hand, choked with fallen trees, &c, and enter into 
the Camapnao-mirim, up which they proceed one 



RIVER NAVIGATION. 429 

league, when they reach the fazenda, or estate, of 
the same name. This is an important establish- 
ment, belonging to the Portuguese, in the centre 
of those vast and desert regions that intervene be- 
tween the great rivers Paraguay and Parana, ninety 
leagues south-south-west, in a direct line from the 
town of Cuiaba. The place seems very proper 
for a Register, to prevent the smuggling of gold 
in this route, and to fix the duties on goods pass- 
ing to Cuiaba and Matto Grosso. The canoes and 
cargoes are transported from the Fazenda de Cam- 
pauao by land about a mile to the river Sanguixuga, 
the principal source of the Rio Pardo. From the 
end of the land-passages the navigation continues 
down the Sanguixuga, and, in the interval of three 
leagues, they pass four falls to the Rio Vermelho 
(so called from the color of its waters), which en- 
ters the Pardo. Half a league from the mouth of 
the Vermelho, the Pardo has the fall of the Pedras 
de Amolar, and a league below receives on its south 
side the river Claro, from which, after proceeding 
two leagues of level stream, there occur nine falls 
in the space of two leagues more. The passage of 
them occupies twelve or fourteen days in going up 
the river, though only one in returning. Below 
the last of these, called the Bangue, the river Su- 
curiu enters the Pardo on its south side. Three 
leagues below the mouth of the Sucuriu is the ca- 
taract of Curare, about eight yards high, to avoid 
which the canoes are hauled over land, through a 



430 



RIVER NAVIGATION. 



passage of a hundred yards. From this cataract $ 
in the space of ten leagues, there occur ten falls, 
which occupy fifteen or twenty days in ascending 
the river, though only one in descending. The 
breadth of the Rio Pardo in this part is twenty- 
two fathoms. Two leagues below the last of these 
falls is a deep inlet of three hundred and ninety 
fathoms ; half a league lower the canoes are hauled 
over a space of land of a hundred and fifty yards. 
Half a league further is the fair of Sirga Negra; 
one league further, that of Sirga Matto; and a 
little more than a league from thence, the great 
cataract, or Salto da Cajuru, ten yards in height, 
to avoid which, the canoes are hauled through a 
narrow channel here formed by the river. At a 
distance equal to the preceding is the Cajuru-mi- 
rim, and immediately after is found the fall of da 
Ilka, the thirty-third and last on this river. Six 
leagues below this fall, the Rio Pardo receives on 
its north side the river Orelha da Anta;* and four 
leagues lower down, on the same side, the Orelha 
da Onca*, from the mouth of which, after eleven 
leagues of navigation, is found the junction which 
the river Anhandery-uassu makes from the soutja 
with the Pardo, which, from the passage of Cam- 
apuao to this point, completes a south-east course 
of forty-five leagues in extent. The Anhandery 
and the Pardo, from their confluence, run sixteen 
leagues of navigation westward, in one channel 



* So called, because they abound with these animals. 



RIVER NAVIGATION. 



431 



and disembogue in the west bank of the Parana 
in lat. about 21°. The velocity of the current of 
the Rio Pardo is very irregular : it may be navi- 
gated downward in five or six days, but cannot be 
ascended in less than twenty or thirty, and that 
by hauling, for the force of the stream in some 
places is too great for oars. 

The river Parana is of great breadth and 
weight of water, and is navigated against its cur- 
rent up to the mouth of the fine river Tiet6. 
In the first three leagues occurs the island of 
Manoel Homem. Five leagues above this is- 
land the Rio Verde falls into the Parana, by a 
mouth of forty-two fathoms, on its western bank, 
and at an equal distance above, on the opposite 
eastern side, the river Aguapehy enters, by a 
mouth apparently above twenty yards wide. Eight 
leagues above this river, and on the west side of 
the Parana, the large river Sucuriu has its mouth, 
at least fifty fathoms wide, and, after four leagues 
of navigation further, on the same side of the Pa- 
rana, is found the mouth of the large and interest- 
ing river, the Tiete*. The distance between the 
rivers Tiete and Pardo, according to the windings 
of the Parana, may be estimated at thirty-five 

* This river being the grand channel of communication from Rio 
de Janeiro, Santos, S. Paulo, and other places, to the interesting dis- 
tricts of Cuiaba, Matto Grosso, the whole of Paraguay, the^ river 
Plata, Potosi, Chiquisaca, and a great part of Peru, I have preserved 
the particular detail given in this paper, of its numerous falls, and the 
difficulties of its navigation, as it is now well known, and there is great 
reason -to suppose, that it will soon be much more frequented. 



432 



RIVER NAVIGATION. 



leagues ; the direction north, inclining to the east. 
Passing up the Tiete, in the first three leagues is 
found the great Salto de Itapura (a great cascade) 
to avoid which, the canoes are dragged sixty fa- 
thoms over-land. A league ahove is the difficult 
fall of Itapura-mirim ; another league upwards 
are the three falls, called Tres Irmaos, and little 
more than that distance onward, that of Itu- 
piru, half a league long; two leagues further is 
the fall of Uaicurituba-mirini, and in the upper 
part of it the small river Sucury enters the Tiete 
upon its north bank. One league above it is the 
fall of Utupiba, a quarter of a league in length. 
The same distance above is the fall of Araracan- 
gua-uassu, which is passed with unloaded canoes. 
Five leagues above this is found the Araracangua- 
mirim; one league further, the Arassatuba, and 
at the same distance, Uaicurituba, from which, in 
the space of nine leagues, occur seven falls. Three 
and a half leagues above the last of them is that of 
the Escaramunca, so called from the abrupt wind- 
ings of the river among a thousand rocks and 
stoppages. Two leagues above this is the large 
fall of Avanhandava, where the canoes are un- 
loaded, and their cargoes carried half a mile over- 
land*, and the canoes hauled the greatest part of 

* The labor of dragging the canoes over-land to avoid the cataracts 
might be much lessened (where the finest timber is in such abund- 
ance), if Government were to order rail-ways to be made, upon which 
loaded canoo might easily be drawn on wheels. This would more 



RIVER NAVIGATION. 433 

the way, to avoid a cataract sixteen yards per- 
pendicular. A league and a half above this is the 
fall of Avanhandava-mirim, and very near it, that 
of the Campo, from which there are fourteen 
leagues of clear navigation to those of the Cam- 
boyu-voca, and next to the Tambau-mirim and 
Uassu, both within the compass of two leagues. 
One league further is the fall of Tambitiririca; 
three leagues from thence/ the Uamicanga, and a 
little more than two leagues upwards, the Jacu- 
ripipira enters the Tiete on the north side, and 
has a mouth fifteen fathoms broad. A league and 
a half above this is the Jacuripipira-mirim, six 
leagues from whence is the fall of Congouha, a 
league in length. For the space of eight leagues 
from this there are six falls, of which the last is 
Banharem. From this it is three leagues and a 
half to the mouth of the Paraniaba, thirty-eight 
fathoms broad : it enters the Tiete on the north ; 
and the latter river from this point immediately 
narrows itself to forty fathoms wide. From the 
mouth of the Paraniaba there is a navigation of 
four leagues to the small fall of Ilha, and fourteen 
leagues more, with frequent windings to that of 
Itahy, near a populous village, called Jundahy. 
Six leagues from this is the fall of Pedrenegoa, 
which is a quarter of a league long; and half a 



facilitate the intercourse than any other measure, and, from the present 
enterprising spirit and wisdom of his Majesty's ministers, we may soon 
hope to see it put in practice. 



434 



RIVER NAVIGATION. 



league above it, the river Sorecaba, which comes 
from the town of the same name, in lat. 23° 31', 
empties itself on the south into the Tiete. Near 
this town are several mountains, called Gua- 
raceaba, some of which abound with rich oxide 
of iron, which on smelting, has proved very good. 
Upon them grows fine timber for machinery, and 
wood of every size, fit for reducing into charcoal. 
Numerous streams flow from them, which may be 
employed to great advantage, and their base is 
washed by the river Campanhes, near the Capi- 
vara, both of which empty themselves into the 
Tiete at a short distance. From the river Sore- 
caba it is only six leagues to Porto Felix, where 
all the embarkation is now made to Mat to Grosso 
from S. Paulo, the distance being about twenty- 
three leagues from that city. Through this con- 
veyance, salt, iron, ammunition, clothing for the 

troops, &c. are sent annually by Government 

Trading parties frequently arrive at S. Paulo from 
Cuiaba in the month of February, and return in 
April or May. 

Resuming our account of the Paraguay, it is 
to be observed that the Embotetieu enters that 
river five leagues below the mouth of the Taquari, 
and on the same side. It is now called Mondego, 
and was formerly nayigated by the traders from 
S. Paulo, who entered by the Anhandery-uassu, 
the south branch of the Pardo. On the north 
bank of the Mondego, twenty leagues above its 
mouth, the Spaniards founded the city of Xerez> 



RIVER NAVIGATION. 



435 



which the Paulistas destroyed. Ten leagues 
above this place,, in the mountains that form the 
upper part of the Embotetieu, there is a tradition 
that there are rich mines which were discovered 
fifty years ago. One league below the mouth of 
the Mondego there are two high insulated mounts 
fronting each other on the Paraguay : at the ex- 
tremity of the southern declivity of the mount 
on the west side, near the bank of the river, is the 
garrison of New Coimbra, founded in 1775; it is 
the last and southermost Portuguese establish- 
ment on the great Paraguay. Eleven leagues to 
the south of Coimbra, on the west side of the 
Paraguay, is the mouth of Bahia Negra, a large 
sheet of water of six leagues in extent, being five 
leagues long from north to south : it receives the 
waters of the wide-flooded plains and lands to the 
south and west of the mountains of Albuquerque, 
At this bay the Portuguese possessions on both 
banks of the Paraguay terminate. From thence 
the river continues to lat. 21°, where, on its west 
bank, is situated a hill known to the Portuguese 
by the name of Miguel Jose, crowned with a 
Spanish fort with four pieces of artillery, called 
Bourbon. Three leagues above this the little 
river Guirino falls into the Paraguay on the east 
side. Nine leagues to the south of the above fort, 
and in lat. 21° 22', are other mountains, on both 
sides the Paraguay, which command this river; 
for the eastern side is surmounted with a lofty 
chain extending to the interior of the country, 



436 



RIVER NAVIGATION. 



near which is the sugar-loaf mount; the opposite 
side is equally mountainous, but not so high or 
extensive ; and in the middle of the river there is 
a high rocky island, which, with the mountainous 
banks on each side, forms two channels of about 
a musket-shot across. This, in case of war be- 
tween the neighbouring nations, would be a post 
of the highest importance, as it forms a natural 
barrier, which would require little fortification to 
render it an effectual obstacle to invasion. Here 
terminate those extensive inundations, to which 
both banks of the Paraguay are subject: they 
commence at the mouth of the J auru, and to this 
point cover an extent of one hundred leagues from 
north to south, and forty in breadth, at their 
highest floods, forming an apparent lake, which 
geographers of former days, as well as some mo- 
derns have termed the Xarayes. This inundation 
confounds the channel of the great Paraguay with 
those of its various confluents, in such a manner 
that, from twenty to thirty leagues above their 
regular mouths, it is possible, in time of the 
floods, to navigate across from one to the other, 
always in deep water, without ever seeing or ap- 
proaching the banks of the Paraguay. During 
this wonderful inundation, the high mountains 
and elevated land which it incloses appear like so 
many superb islands, and the lower grounds form 
a labyrinth of lakes, bays, and pools, many of which 
remain after the floods have subsided. From the 
intricacy of these inundated plains, the naviga- 



RIVER NAVIGATION. 



437 



tion is rendered impracticable to all who do not 
unite experience with skill. From this position, 
(the only barrier on the Paraguay), the banks 
downward are in general high and firm, particu- 
larly the eastern or Portuguese side. In lat. 22° 5', 
a considerable river empties itself into it, which 
the Spaniards, at the demarcation in 1753, would 
have to be the Corrientes, whereas the heads of 
this river are twenty leagues north of the real 
Corrientes mentioned in the treaty. 

Between the Paraguay and Parana there runs 
from north to south an extensive chain of moun- 
tains, which have the appellation of Amanbay ; 
they terminate to the south of the river Iguatimy, 
forming a ridge running east and west, called Ma- 
racayer. From these mountains spring all the 
rivers which, from the Taquari southward, enter 
the Paraguay, and from the same chain, also, pro- 
ceed many other rivers, which, taking a contrary 
direction, flow into the Parana, one of them, and 
the most southerly, being the Igoatimy, which 
has its mouth in lat. 23° 47', a little above the 
seven falls, or the wonderful cataract of the Pa- 
rana. This cataract is a most sublime spectacle, 
being distinguished to the eye of the spectator 
from below by the appearance of six rainbows, 
and emitting from its fall a constant cloud of va- 
pors, which impregnates the air to a great dis- 
tance, On the north side of the Igoatimy, twenty 
leagues from its mouth, the Portuguese had 
formerly the fortress of Bauris, which was aban- 



438 



RIVER NAVIGATION. 



doned in 1777. The Igoatimy has its sources ten 
leagues above this place, among high and rugged 
mountains. The river Xexuy enters the Paraguay 
on the east side in lat 24° 11', twenty leagues be- 
low the Ipane, another small river, called Ipane- 
mirim, intervening. 

This is a summary and highly interesting de- 
scription of Portuguese Paraguay, to the point 
where the territory ought (as our Tourist observes) 
to extend! and such is the situation of this great 
river, that the above-mentioned rivers which con- 
centrate toward the interior of Brazil, enter it on 
the eastern side; not one enters it on the western, 
from the Jauru to the parrallel of the Ipane. 
Many parts of the banks of all those rivers are 
laid under water at the time of the floods, and 
the plains are covered to a considerable depth. 

A river of such vast size as the Paraguay, in a 
temperate and salubrious climate, abounding with 
fish, bordered by extensive plains and high moun- 
tains, intersected by so many rivers, bays, lakes, 
and forests, must naturally have drawn many of 
the Indian nations to inhabit its banks : but, immedi- 
ately after the discovery of the new continent, the 
incursions of the Paulistas and Spaniards seem to 
have dispersed and destroyed the numerous tribes : 
the Jesuits transplanted many thousands to their 
settlements on the Uraguay and Parana. Other 
nations fled from the avarice of the new settlers 
to countries less favored, but more secure by rea- 
son of their distance, and the difficulty of ap- 



RIVER NAVIGATION. 439 

proach. This emigration of one nation to districts 
occupied by another, became the fruitful source 
of inveterate and sanguinary wars among them, 
which tended to reduce their numbers. There 
are, however, still some Indians left on the borders 
of the Paraguay, among whom the Guaycurus, or 
Cavalier Indians, are principally distinguished for 
valour. They occupy the lands from the river Ta- 
quari, extending southwards, along all the rivers 
that enter the Paraguay on the eastern side, as 
far as the river Ipane, and in like manner, on the 
opposite bank, from the mountains of Albuquer- 
que downwards. They have made war repeatedly 
on the Spaniards and Portuguese, without ever 
being subdued. They are armed with lances of 
extraordinary length, bows, arrows, &c. They 
make long incursions on horseback into the neigh- 
bouring territories; they procure horses in ex- 
change for stout cotton cloaks, called Ponches, 
which they manufacture. There are other Indian 
nations inhabiting these large tracts, some of 
whom have intermixed both with the Portuguese 
and Spaniards, there being few of the latter on 
any part of the confines without some traces of 
Indian physiognomy. 

From the river Xexuy, downwards, the Para- 
guay takes its general course southwards for 
thirty-two leagues to the city of Assumpcion, the 
capital of Paraguay, and the residence of its go- 
vernor. This city is situated on an obtuse angle 
made by the eastern bank of the river ; the popu- 



140 



RIVER NAVIGATION. 



lation is by no means trifling, and there are some 
Portuguese among the inhabitants. The govern- 
ment is of vast extent, and its total population is 
said to amount to near 120,000 souls. The land 
is fertile, and contains many rich farms : its prin- 
cipal produce is the matte, which is exported to 
Tucuman and Buenos Ayres, from whence it is 
sent to various parts of the Spanish dominions, 
along the coast of Chili and Peru, being a gene- 
ral article of consumption among all ranks of peo- 
ple. Its other products are hides, tobacco, and 
sugar. From Buenos Ayres large boats arrive at 
the city of Assumpcion, after two or three months' 
passage; the only difficulty in navigating is the 
great weight of the waters of the Paraguay, which 
flow with great rapidity : but this disadvantage is 
lessened by favorable winds, which blow the greater 
part of the year from the south. 

Six leagues below Assumpcion, on the western 
side of the Paraguay, the river Pilcomayo enters 
that river by its first mouth ; its second is four- 
teen or sixteen leagues lower. In this space some 
other smaller rivers enter on the eastern side, and 
amongst them the Tibiquari, on an arm of which, 
twenty leagues south-east from Assumpcion, is 
Villa Rica, a large Spanish town, with much pro- 
perty in cattle on its extensive plains. The river 
Vermelho enters the west side of the Paraguay in 
lat. 26° 50' : on a remote upper branch of this 
river is the town of Salto, near an accessible fall; 
it is an important point to the Spaniards, who are 



RIVER NAVIGATION. 441 

transporting their goods from Buenos Ayres, Tu- 
cuman, &c. to Upper Peru. 

The River Parana, 
or Great River, which the first discoverers consi- 
dered as the chief, on account of its abundant 
waters, unites with the eastern side of the Para- 
guay in lat. 27° 25', and their united streams take 
the name of the Rio de la Plata, which originated 

in the following circumstance : Martim de Sousa, 

the first donatary of the capitania of St. Vicente, 
furnished Aleixo Garcio, with an adequate escort 
to explore the hitherto untrodden wilds to the west 
of the extensive coast of Brazil. This intrepid 
Portuguese, by the route of the Tiete, reached 
the Paraguay, which he crossed, and penetrated 
considerably into the interior, from whence he re- 
turned, it is said, loaded with silver, and some 
gold : but he halted on the Paraguay, and waited 
for the coming of his son, a youth of tender years, 
with some of his people, whilst he sent forward 
an account of the discovery. He was surprised 
by a body of Indians, who killed him, took his son 
prisoner, and carried off all his riches: the year 
following, sixty Portuguese, who were sent in 
search of Garcia, shared the same fate. The Spa- 
niards who first settled on this river, seeing so 
much silver amongst these Indians, and supposing 
it to be the produce of the country, called the river 
La Plata.* 

* The Silver from Potosi, which some years has exceeded twenty 
millions of dollars, came down the Rio de la Plata to Buenos Ayres. 



442 RIO GKANDE. 

The Parana derives its principal sources from 
the west side of the mountains of Mantiqueira, 
twenty-five leagues west of the town of Paraty* 



CHAP. XIX. 

Account of the Capitania of Rio Grande* 

THE capitania of Rio Grande is one of the most 
important in Brazil. It is of considerable extent, 
and is bounded by the capitania of S. Paulo on the 
north, Matto Grosso on the west, and by the Spa- 
nish territories, between it and the Rio de la Plata, 
on the south. 

Its port is situated about 32" south ; it is dan- 
gerous to enter, first from its being shoal water, 
and next, from a violent sea always running, and 
from the shifting of the sands. Notwithstanding 
these inconveniences, there is a great trade carried 
on from this place to all the ports of Brazil, in 
brigs and small vessels that do not draw above ten 
feet water. After passing the bar, which is long, 
they enter into an inland sea, or lagoon, of deep 
water, and navigate to the north and west to its 
head, where the principal river runs into it. To 
the southward is the lagoon Meni, and the neutral 



RIO GRANDE. 



443 



ground; a little to the southward of which is the 
Spanish fortress of Santa Theresa, lately put in 
repair. 

The principal town is defended by many forts, 
some of which are upon islets. Since it was taken 
from the Spaniards by General Coimbra, the Por- 
tuguese have much strengthened it, and now there 
is a very considerable force of cavalry, horse-ar- 
tillery, and foot-soldiers; so that at a short no- 
tice, with the addition of the militia, a body of 
five or seven thousand men might be calculated 
upon. 

The climate is considered very fine, and the soil 
so productive, that this district may be called the 
granary of Brazil; the wheat grown here is ship- 
ped to all the ports on the coast where bread is 
used. Farming, however, is carried on in so 
slovenly a manner, that the grain is always rough, 
bad skinned, and extremely foul. It is packed in 
raw hides, which are sewed up like sacks ; it swells, 
and heats frequently on the passage from Rio 
Grande to the more northerly ports ; and often, 
after landing in Rio de Janeiro, it is left on the 
quay exposed for days to the rain. 

The vicinity of Rio Grande is extremely popu- 
lous; in a circuit of twenty leagues, the inhabit- 
ants, including the troops, are estimated at 100,000. 
Their principal occupations are, the breeding of 
cattle, for which the immense tract of pasture- 
land is so well calculated ; the drying and prepar- 
ing of hides, and the making of charque, or what 



4U 



RIO GRANDE. 



is called, in the river Plata, jug-beef. It is pre- 
pared in the following manner: After the ox is 

skinned, the flesh is stripped from the bones in as 
large flakes as possible, in some degree resembling 
sides of bacon : it is put into hot brine, where it 
remains from twelve to forty hours, according to 
the thickness. It is then taken out, drained, and 
dried in the sun, afterwards shipped to all parts 
of Brazil. It is a general article of consump- 
tion among the lower classes and negroes, and is 
not unfrequently seen at respectable tables, being 
in taste somewhat similar to hung-beef. It consti- 
tutes the general food for the sailors, and forms 
part of almost every cargo sent out from this port. 
It has found its way to the West Indies, where it 
is in great request, and has been frequently sold, 
during the war, at nine-pence or a shilling per 
pound. The charque prepared at Rio Grande is 
much superior to that brought from the river 
Plata. During the time that the English troops 
were in possession of Monte Video, in consequence 
of an apprehension that the cattle might be driven 
away, and they be in want of supplies, large quan- 
tities were contracted for at S. Pedro, which ar- 
rived at Monte Video, though not wanted. They 
were afterwards shipped for the West India 
market. 

The quantity of hides exported from hence is 
almost incredible ; they furnish many vessels with 
entire cargoes, which are carried to the northern 
ports, and from thence embarked for Europe. The 



RIO GRANDE. 



445 



annual average may be estimated at not less than 
three hundred thousand. 

Tallow forms another considerable article of 
commerce, which in general is shipped in the crude 
state, and not refined, as in the river Plata. The 
greater part is consumed in Brazil, and the dealers 
find it preferable to refine the article on the spot, 
where they manufacture it into candles. It is pack- 
ed in waste raw-hide packages.* 

Horns and horse-hair form an inferior branch of 
the commerce, and are shipped from this port in 
great quantities. 

The above are the staple productions of Rio 
Grande, which give employment perhaps to a hun- 
dred sail of coasters, some of which make two or 
three voyages in a year, carrying thither rum, su- 
gar, tobacco, cotton, rice, coarse manufactured cot- 
ton, sweet meats, &c.f 

Of European merchandise, they bring wine, olive- 
oil, glass, and a great variety of English com- 
modities, particularly iron, (though they much 
prefer the Swedish), baizes, coatings, stout wool- 
len-cloths, Manchester velverets of various quali- 
ties and colors, printed cottons, calicoes, muslins, 

* Some English settlers, disappointed in the river Plata, went to 
Rio Grande to establish concerns for curing beef, refining tallow, &c. 
which they soon abandoned from the want of practical knowledge. 

t Almost every vessel brin'gs a greater or smaller number of negroes, 
it being the practice at Rio de Janeiro to ship off all those who are ill- 
disposed and troublesome for Rio Grande, whence, if they continue 
refractory, they are frequently sold into .the neighbouring colony. 



446 



KIO GRANDE. 



handkerchiefs, silk, cotton, and worsted hosiery, 
hats, flannels, &c. 

Sail-cloth, cordage, anchors, tar, paints, fowl- 
ing pieces, ammunition of all sorts, hardware of 
every description, particularly slaughter-knives, 
some plated ware, and fancy articles. A great 
part of the goods are conveyed upon horses into 
the interior, where they are carried from house to 
house for sale or exchange. 

-During the old system, so lately as within these 
four years, a most lucrative trade was here carried 
on with the Spaniards, who came in numbers, 
and most eagerly bought up the tobacco, and 
such of the English manufactures as could be 
transported on horseback, at great prices. Thus 
Rio Grande and its vicinity became very enviable 
situations, where considerable fortunes were made 
in a little time, as the goods bought were much 
in request, though contraband, and were paid for 
in specie. This trade, so advantageous to each 
party, is now entirely ruined through the eager- 
ness of our speculators in over-stocking the mar- 
kets, and selling for two what would have been 
eagerly bought for six. 

The neighbourhood of the capital is an unplea- 
sant place, being surrounded with sand and sand- 
hills of no inconsiderable size, formed by the wind 
blowing the sand in heaps in various directions, 
which become half indurated, and appear strati- 
fied. The excessively high winds, which frequently 



RIO GRANDE. 



447 



prevail, blow the sand so as to be very disagreea- 
ble, as it enters every part of the house. 

The cattle bred in this capitania are very nume- 
rous, and large herds are brought hither from the 
Spanish frontiers. 

The large river Uruguay rises in this capitania, 
and empties itself into the river Plata, a little above 
Buenos Ayres ; there are numerous others of less 
consequence, the banks of which are well stored 
with wood. Some attempts were lately made, by 
miners sent from Villa Rica, to work gold-wash- 
ings. In the neighbourhood of the capital they 
have coal, a specimen of which I have seen. From 
the same district, a gentleman shewed me a sub- 
stance which he could not define ; on seeing it, I 
asked him if he was certain that it came from 
thence ; he assured me that he was : I then told 
him that it was wolfram ; and stated that this metal 
strongly indicated tin, of which it is frequently an 
attendant in Europe, though probably it may 
not be so in America. It was a rude lump, not 
rounded by friction, and weighed at least a pound. 
Of the geology and general features of the rocks 
of this capitania very little is known. 

In various parts jaguars, and other beasts of 
prey, are very common. Among the graniverous 
animals are capivaras of great size, deer in vast 
herds, and armadillos, which afford excellent eat- 
ing when roasted. Of birds, there are ostriches 
of the dark-colored species, which go about in 
flocks of great numbers. There are eagles, hawks, 



448 



lUO GllANDEi 



and other birds of prey, particularly a species of 
crow of the vulture kind. Cranes, storks, wild 
turkeys, ducks, partridges, horned plovers, goat- 
suckers, horned owls, small parrots, cardinals, 
humming birds, &c. are found in great numbers. 

The inhabitants are, generally speaking, athletic 
and robust, and so extremely fond of riding, as 
not to go the smallest distance on foot. They are 
esteemed excellent horsemen, and greatly surpass 
their neighbours in dexterity and agility, particu- 
larly in catching cattle with the balls and the la%o. 
But it ought to be understood that the Spaniards 
have Peons on their farms, who are more nearly 
allied to the Indians than to them, whereas the 
Portuguese have Creolians, bred up to the busi- 
ness, or expert negroes, who are inferior to none 
in this labor. 

It is singular to Europeans, that in this fine cli- 
mate, where the thermometer is frequently below 
40° Fahrenheit, and where are bred as fine cows as 
any in the world, and every convenience is at hand 
for dairies, neither butter nor cheese is made, ex- 
cept on particular occasions ; nor is milk even for 
coifee to be procured at all times. It may pro- 
bably be urged that the production of these arti- 
cles would not answer the purpose of the farmers : 
but certainly it might be made to do so; and I 
hesitate not to say, that a hundred cows, kept for * 
dairy purposes, would yield to any man capable 
of rearing, training, and managing them, a greater 
profit than any other part of husbandry. This 



RIO GRANDE. 449 

colony might easily be made to supply the neigh- 
bouring districts, and even the whole of Brazil, 
with these articles. 

A number of years ago some hemp was grown 
here by order of Government: it proved excellent, 
but was abandoned because it was troublesome 
to dress, and probably did not yield sufficient 
profit, owing to the high price of labor. 

In some places grapes are very good, and pro- 
bably wine will soon be made from them, as the 
restraint laid by the mother-country upon her co- 
lonies is now removed. 

Troops have been for a considerable time pour- 
ing into Rio Grande, the result was, Monte 
Video taken possession of by the Portuguese. 
This so enraged Artigas, a Spanish officer and 
great land owner, that he rallied the inhabitants of 
the country, and, being joined by the Peons and 
negroes, made war against the new possessors, 
(from whom he had probably received indignities 
and injury), issuing orders for reprisals at sea, 
and carrying on a desolating warfare. But this 
was not all — his people, under no discipline, plun- 
dered the good Fa%endistas, and robbed and mur- 
dered private individuals; thus changing the 
scene from peace, happiness, and contentment, 
Jlo anarchy, confusion, rapine, plunder, and mur- 
der. 

A great many rivers run into Rio Grande, which 
has more the appearance of a vast lake or inland 
sea than a river. On the banks of these rivers 

G G 



450 



ON TRADE. 



we find many settlers enjoying most beautiful si- 
tuations, and lands to a great extent. Here may 
be said to be the finest situations for growing 
wheat; falls of water for mills, and excellent water 
conveyance to ships wanting cargoes, who might 
with the greatest facility load and transport it all 
over Brazil, the Cape, Isle of France, &c. An 
active people would soon enjoy a trade of their 
own instead of importing flour from the United 
States, which is even now the case. 



CHAP. XX. 

General Observations on the Trade from England 
to Brazil, 

HAVING, in a preceding part of this work, 
stated the importance of Rio de Janeiro as a port 
which, from its locality, appears destined by na- 
ture to become the metropolis of a vast empire, 
and the centre of an extensive commerce, it may 
not be improper in this place to treat more at 
large on this interesting subject. 

The ships best calculated for trade from Eng- 
land are those which carry about four hundred 
tons, and sail well: it is particularly necessary 
that they should have the latter quality ; for, if 
they have not, the voyage from thence to Eng- 



ON TRADE. 



451 



iand is frequently rendered very tedious by their 
being driven too far to the westward by the north- 
east trade-wind. Owing to this circumstance, it 
is not uncommon for a packet, or fast-sailing ship, 
to make a passage from the coast of Brazil to 
England in five or six weeks, when a heavy-sail- 
ing vessel is double that time in arriving at her 
destination. The best season for sailing from 
England, and that which affords the greatest pro- 
bability of making a short passage, is the month 
of February or March, because then the north- 
east winds prevail. I should advise crossing the 
line in not less than 22°, nor more than 25° west 
longitude, if the destination be the Plata or Rio 
de Janeiro, as I have twice experienced very 
long calms in crossing the line between 19° and 
20°. Ships bound to Bahia, Pernambuco, and 
ports more northerly, will of course cross the line 
more to the westward, as they will have nothing 
to fear : but the south-west trade-wind would ge- 
nerally cause ships going farther south to fall in 
with the land too soon. Should that be the case, I 
would advise them, if they make the land to the 
north of the Abrolhos *, to keep in-shore, as the 
land-breeze is frequently from the northward un- 
til mid-day. The ports on this coast are in gene- 
ral good and secure, nevertheless it is highly de- 



* It has been found, however, from modern surveys, that those 
rocks are by no means so dangerous as they have been represented. 



452 



ON TRADE. 



sirable to be provided with good anchors and 
cables, particularly in the Rio de la Plata. In 
the Portuguese territories the port-charges are 
not so expensive as formerly ; a dollar per day is 
exacted for anchorage, which forms the principal 
charge. I particularly recommend that all home- 
ward-bound ships should lay in a sufficiency of 
necessary stores, especially of water, so as to 
make the passage without being obliged to go 
into the Western Isles, as there the port-charges 
and attendant expenses are very exorbitant, 
though the only articles wanted may be a few casks 
of water, and a hundred weight or two of bread. 

Ships are loaded in Rio de Janeiro, and other 
ports of Brazil, as well as in the Plata, by lighters, 
which are very expensive, and difficult to be pro- 
cured when many ships are receiving their cargoes; 
good boats are extremely useful and necessary. 

When a vessel enters any of the ports, the 
health-boat and custom-boat make a visit before 
she anchors, and their report is immediately made ; 
after which, proper officers, called guardas, are 
sent on board. These men in general are not very 
liberally provided for ; they are extremely civil 
and accommodating, and ought to be treated with 
respect. Since the establishment of the treaty of 
commerce between this government and that of 
Brazil the contraband trade has been almost done 
away ; for the duties are now much reduced, and the 
accommodation which the judge and subordinate 



ON TRADE. 453 

officers of the custom-house are disposed to allow, 
is such, as to render that nefarious practice unne- 
cessary. 

It may not be improper in this place to de- 
scribe the consequences produced in Rio de Ja- 
neiro by the excessive commercial speculations 
into which our merchants entered, immediately 
after the emigration of the Court of Portugal, 
and which could only be equalled by those which 
followed our expeditions to the Rio de la Plata. 

Owing to the incredible competition or struggle 
among our merchants, who should send most ships 
and cargoes to a country, whose civilized popula- 
tion, exclusive of slaves, did not exceed eight 
hundred thousand souls, (one-third, at least, of 
whom may be said to make use only of what their 
land produces), it is natural to suppose that the 
market would be almost instantly overstocked. 
So great and so unexpected was the influx of 
English manufactures into Rio de Janeiro, within 
a few days after the arrival of the Prince, that 
the rent of houses to put them into became enor- 
mously dear. The bay was covered with ships, 
and the custom-house soon overflowed with goods ; 
even salt, casks of ironmongery, and nails, salt- 
fish, hogsheads of cheese, hats, together with an 
immense quantity of crates and hogsheads of 
earthen and glass ware, cordage, bottled and bar- 
relled porter, paints, gums, resin, tar, &c, were ex- 
posed, not only to the sun and rain^ but general 



454 



ON TRADE. 



depredation. The inhabitants of Rio de Janeiro, 
and more particularly some of the Creolians and 
strangers from the interior, thought that these 
goods were placed there for their benefit, and ex- 
tolled the goodness and generosity of the English, 
who strewed the beach to a great extent with ar- 
ticles for which their own countrymen had here- 
tofore charged them such high prices ! It is true 
that the gentlemen entrusted with these valuable 
consignments did apply for centinels to be placed 
to guard the articles thus exposed, and their re- 
quest was immediately complied with. The result 
was such as might easily have been anticipated 
from such watchmen, many of whom did not fail 
to profit largely by the appointment. In the 
course of some weeks the beach began to assume 
a less crowded appearance ; some few of the goods 
were taken to the residences of their owners, others 
were removed; but to what place, or by whom, 
there was no way of ascertaining; and a very 
great proportion was sold at the custom-house 
for the benefit of the underwriters. This strata- 
gem, then so frequently practised, (and certainly 
deserving of the severest reprehension), afterwards 
operated as a very serious injury to the regular 
sale of articles; for, as the market was so over- 
stocked, scarcely any one would offer money for 
goods, except at the custom-house sales. As the 
depreciation continued, numberless packages were 
there exposed for sale, in part damaged, or ap- 



ON TRADE. 



455 



parently so. Indeed, little more than the mark 
of a cord on the outside of a single article, or a 
corner discolored, in a package however large, 
was a sufficient pretext for presuming and pro- 
nouncing the whole to be damaged. Great quan- 
tities of goods were brought to the hammer in the 
custom-house warehouses, under every disadvan- 
tage; thus the owners recovered the amount insured 
for, and the insurers lost the difference between 
that sum and the price they were sold at, also the 
attendant expenses. Many of the underwriters 
will, it is to be feared, retain a lasting remembrance 
of the sales which took place at Rio de Janeiro, and 
other parts of South America, for their benefit. 

To the serious losses thus occasioned by an 
overstocked market, and by the sacrifice of goods 
at whatever price could be obtained, may be added 
another, which originated in the ignorance of 
many persons who sent out articles to a consider- 
able amount not at all suited to the country ; one 
speculator, of wonderful foresight, sent large in- 
voices of various sorts of stays for ladies who 
never heard of such armour ; another sent skates, 
for the use of a people who are totally uninformed 
that water can become ice ; a third sent out a con- 
siderable assortment of the most elegant coffin- 
furniture, not knowing that coffins are never used 
by the Brazilians, or in the Plata. To these ab- 
surd speculations may be added iron-stoves and 
fire-irons, candles, and numerous others, particu- 



456 



ON TRADE. 



larly in articles of taste : elegant services of cut 
glass were little appreciated by men accustomed to 
drink out of a horn or a cocoa-nut-shell ; and bril- 
liant chandeliers were still less valued in a country 
where only lamps that afforded a gloomy light, were 
used. Superfine woollen cloths were equally ill- 
suited to the market ; no one thought them suffi- 
ciently strong. An immense quantity of high- 
priced saddles, and thousands of whips*, were 
sent out to a people as incapable of adopting them 
as they were of knowing their convenience. They 
were astonished to see Englishmen ride on such 
saddles ; nor could they imagine any thing more inse- 
cure. Of the bridles scarcely any use could be made, 
as the bit was not calculated to keep the horse or 
mule in subordination : these articles were of course 
sacrificed. Great quantities of the nails and iron- 
mongery were useless, as they were not calculated for 
the general purposes of the people. Large cargoes of 
Manchester goods were sent ; and, in a few months, 
more arrived than had been consumed in the course 
of twenty years preceding. No discrimination 
was used in the assortment of these articles, with 
respect either to quantity or fineness, so that com- 
mon prints were disposed of at less than a shilling 
a yard, and frequently in barter. Fish from New- 
foundland met with a similar fate; also porter, 

* In Brazil and the Plata the bridle is made of sumcient length to 
berve the \ urposc of a whip. 



ON TRADE. 457 

large quantities of which, in barrels, arrived among 
a people, of whom a few only had tasted that arti- 
cle as a luxury. How the shippers in London, 
and other British ports, could imagine that porter, 
would at once become a general beverage, it is 
difficult to conceive, especially when sent in bar- 
rels. These cargoes, being unsaleable, were of 
course warehoused, and of course spoiled. New- 
foundland fish, that was generally sold at from 
twelve to twenty dollars per quintal, was now un- 
saleable at four, and in many instances did not pay 
warehouse-room. Earthenware was perhaps ra- 
ther more favorably received than many of the for- 
mer articles, for plates, &c. soon came into gene- 
ral use. Having enumerated various commodities 
which suffered a general depreciation, it may be 
sufficient to add that many invoices of fancy goods, 
and such as do not constitute a staple trade, were 
sold at from sixty to seventy per cent, under costs 
and charges, and others were totally lost. To en- 
ter more into detail would be unnecessary: it is 
hoped that the trade will in time find its regular 
course, and that the adventurers will derive from 
it some compensation for their former losses, 
though no possible change can repair the total 
ruin which numbers have incurred. Experience 
will now have fully shown the fallacy of those 
golden hopes which some persons conceived from 
the reputed wealth of South America, and we shall 
no longer hear of those absurdities which charac- 



458 



ON TRADE. 



terised the first commercial speculations to the 
river Plata. What must have been the delusions 
of those traders who sent out tools, formed with 
a hatchet on one side and a hammer on the other, 
for the conveniency of breaking the rocks, and 
cutting the precious metals from them, as if they 
imagined that a man had only to go into the moun- 
tains, and cut out as much gold as would pay for 
the articles he wanted! 

Other evils resulted from these ill-judged and 
excessive speculations to South America, which 
might naturally have been anticipated. The first 
was, that the produce was bought up with such 
avidity that many articles were soon double their 
ordinary value, and continued to rise as our ma- 
nufactures lowered. But this was not all: the 
purchasers suffered equally from their ignorance of 
the quality of the articles, as from their eagerness 
in purchasing them. For instance; any kind of 
sebaceous matter was greedily bought for tallow ; 
and numberless hides, spoiled in the drying and 
eaten by the grub, met with ready sale. Little 
attention was paid to the state they were in; and 
thus it frequently happened that lots and cargoes 
of those articles, instead of reimbursing the ad- 
venturer to whom they were consigned, scarcely 
paid freight and charge. This was also the case 
with coffee and other staple articles. Many gen- 
tlemen, more knowing than others, sent home lots 
of curious wood, and even entered into the illicit 



ON TRADE. 



459 



trade of shipping the dye-wood, which generally 
proved very disadvantageous, as the wood of that 
species grown in the vicinity of Rio de J aneiro is 
very inferior in quality to that of Pernambuco, 
from whence that trade is carried on for account 
of the Crown. The folly of speculation did not 
stop here: precious stones appeared to offer the 
most abundant source of riches ; the general cal- 
culation was made upon the price at which they 
sold in London: but every trader bought them, 
more or less, at the price at which they were offer- 
ed; invoices of goods were bartered for some, which 
in London would sell for, comparatively, a trifle, 
as they were taken without discrimination as to 
quality or perfection; green tourmalines were 
sold for emeralds, crystals for topazes, and both 
common stones and glass have been bought as 
diamonds to a considerable amount. Gold and 
diamonds were well known to be produced in Bra- 
zil; and their being by law contraband, was a suf- 
ficient temptation to eager speculators who had 
never before seen either in their native state. False 
diamonds were weighed with scrupulousness, and, 
bought with avidity, to sell by the rules stated by 
Jefferies. Gold-dust, as it is commonly called, ap-^ 
peared in no inconsiderable quantity, and, after be- 
ing weighed with equal exactness, was bought or 
bartered for. But previous to this many samples 
underwent the following easy and ingenious pro-^ 
cess: —The brass pans purchased at the stores 



460 



ON TRADE. 



were filed, and mixed with the gold in the propor- 
tion of from ten to twenty per cent, according to 
the opinion which the seller formed of the saga- 
city of the person with whom he had to deal: and 
thus, by a simple contrivance, some of our coun- 
trymen re-purchased at three or four guineas per 
ounce the very article which they had before sold 
at 2s. 6d. per pound ! ! ! 

In enumerating the losses occasioned by the de- 
preciation of goods, I have omitted to notice the 
heavy expenses upon them after the purchase, as 
packing, shipping, convoy-duty, freight, insur- 
ance, commission, and other incidental charges. 
Then suppose any staple article to be bought; 
there are the expenses of commission for buying 
of warehouse-room, shipping and the attendant 
fees, freight, and insurance ; and, on the arrival 
of the merchandize in England, there are duties, 
dockage, warehouse-room, and many other items 
which leave no small interest in the hands of those 
who do the business. 

It is scarcely possible to imagine, much less to 
describe, the disappointment which prevailed 
among the young supercargoes a few months after 
their arrival in South America, particularly among 
those who had orders not to sell the goods entrust- 
ed to them lower than the prices specified in their 
invoices. 

They could scarcely awaken themselves from 
the chimerical delusion that their mind was filled 



ON TRADE. 



461 



with; they disbelieved every thing, and continued 
to write to their employers to send out more goods, 
thinking the riches they had so fondly anticipated 
must yet roll down in torrents from the interior. 
The heart-breaking letters of those who sent them 
out, expressing the most poignant distress for want 
of remittances, at length awakened them, and 
their sanguine expectations of incalculable riches, 
heaps of dollars, or bars of gold, began to vanish. 
Many of the inhabitants came to look at their 
stores, but few offered to buy; and, incredible as 
it may appear, yet it is true, that when goods were 
offered to them at half the original cost, they in- 
variably exclaimed, " Very dear." Scenes of this 
kind I have repeatedly witnessed, and could scarcely 
suppress my indignation at seeing goods thus de- 
preciated, which a few months before were so ea- 
gerly sought after, and bought at ten times the 
amount. Gentlemen consignees so situated were 
at a loss how to act: the duties, rents, charges, 
and other expenses were high, and must peremp- 
torily be paid ; their only resource was to open a 
shop or room for the purpose of selling their goods 
by retail, as the inhabitants wanted them. 

These young men most unfortunately had calcu- 
lated upon doing business only in the large way, 
similar to our most opulent mercantile establish- 
ments : on their arrival they took the best houses, 
set apart their hours for morning rides and at- 
tending to business, for going to their country 



462 



ON TRADE. 



seats*, and dinner-parties. The idea of vending by 
retail was a bitter which destroyed all their pleasing 
anticipations of doing business in style : they thought 
themselves merchants, expecting to sell at any 
price they pleased to ask, and to buy at what they 
thought proper to offer! and could not stoop to 
be shopkeepers ; many of them, rather than yield 
to that, sent goods to auctions, and sold them at 
what they would fetch, thus rendering a ruinous 
account to their employers. Others with more 
prudence accommodated themselves to circum- 
stances, and were not offended at being asked for 
a pair of boots or a hat. These persons reaped 
all the advantage of the trade, as they got their 
price by selling to those whose necessities prompt- 
ed them to purchase, and were ever ready to sell 
by the package when opportunity offered. Many 
of these young men, it is true, have been deserv- 
edly much blamed by the consignors, who have 
expressed great dissatisfaction at their extravagant 
mode of living, and at their proceedings, both in 
the disposal of the property sent to them, and in 
the purchase of merchandize to return; these 
complaints were justly founded, though something 
may be said in extenuation of the former, not only 
on the ground of their want of knowledge, but 



* Delicate connections were soon formed, and females of the ob- 
scurest class appeared dressed in the most costly extreme of English 
fashion. 



ON TRADE* 



463 



the unexampled situation of affairs ; for a respect- 
able and useful clerk, however capable of copying 
an invoice, or attending his employer's counting- 
house, must make a very poor figure so situated, 
being very incapable of ascertaining or stating the 
merits of manufactured goods, and still less quali- 
fied to purchase the staple articles and general pro- 
duce of the country. These severe and grievous 
disadvantages frequently gave the Brazilians the 
double advantage of buying below the market- 
price, and of selling above it. 

From these and many other unfortunate and 
disastrous circumstances, the trade could not fail 
to become gradually worse and worse; hence it is 
very natural to imagine that necessitous consign- 
ors, eager to see the riches which they had so long 
and so vainly anticipated, became more pressing 
for remittances. One disappointment succeeded 
another; remonstrances were made; and powers 
of attorney were at length sent out almost by car- 
goes; property was removed from one consignee 
to another, at great expense, but to no purpose. 
At home the greatest confusion prevailed for want 
of money, until that lamentable and unfortunate 
epoch, when the columns of the Gazette were fill- 
ed with the names of those very respectable mer- 
chants, who, before those ruinous speculations, 
were in a state of affluence. Many of those to 
whom immense sums were entrusted, have not even 
yet returned to their native country. 



464 



ON TRADE. 



Misunderstandings frequently arose between 
the English and the Portuguese,, either in mak- 
ing contracts, or in not complying with them; 
and they were continually prosecuting each other 
for injuries which both parties professed to have 
sustained. These litigations might have termi- 
nated very expensively, if not otherwise seriously, 
had not the wise measures of the Juiz Conserva- 
dor prevented the perplexities of legal proceed- 
ings. The appeals of the English were always 
heard; they were strangers whom His Royal 
Highness protected, and they ever found in the 
Conde de Linhares a firm and powerful friend. " 

In the Plata, the monied men bought very 
largely of the cargoes which first arrived, and 
were afterwards considerable losers by the over- 
flow which took place, when men of less capital 
bought for ten thousand dollars, what a few weeks 
before sold for fifteen or twenty. In Rio de Ja- 
neiro the case was somewhat different; for the 
monied men thought the English manufactures 
inexhaustible, and therefore kept back their 
gold, leaving the trade principally to men of a se- 
condary class, who bought with great caution, 
and sold very promptly, for fear of a further de- 
preciation. 

Having stated the ruinous consequences of 
sending out goods not saleable, it may be proper 
to point out the articles in general consumption, 
though even these may be sold at great loss, if the 



ON TRADE. 465 

markets be overstocked, for trade must depend 
on the wants and necessities of the consumer. If 
an individual possesses seven or eight hats, as 
many coats, &c. it is unreasonable to suppose that 
he can want more, though he may be tempted to 
purchase, if offered at very reduced prices : but 
even that must have an end, and a trade must 
soon expire where one party is constantly the 
loser. This has been too generally the result of 
our late speculations in South America, into 
which people hurried without calculation or fore- 
sight. 

Iron and steel are articles for which there is a 
general and constant demand. The smiths prefer 
Swedish iron, as they have been always accustomed 
to it, and do not know how to heat and work the 
English. The next article to be mentioned is 
salt, in which the Brazilians are by no means 
nice. It is made and loaded at one or two places 
on the coast, but that which is most esteemed 
comes from the Cape de Verde islands; that 
brought from Liverpool is generally used in the 
sea-ports. Common woollens, baizes, and some 
stout fine cloths, particularly blue and black, are 
generally worn ; also kerseymeres. Cotton goods 
of almost every description, especially if low 
priced, meet with ready sale, as do German linens. 
Hats of all sorts, (particularly dress-hats), and 
boots and shoes of English manufacture, have of 
late been sold in great quantities ; the leather is 

HH 



466 ON TRADE. 

much preferable to that made in Brazil. Common 
and finer earthenware, and glass; some sorts of 
fine and coarse hard-ware, and some plated goods, 
as candles now begin to be used instead of lamps. 
Bottled porter, Cheshire cheese, butter, cheap 
furniture, tin-plate, brass, lead in various shapes, 
shot of all sizes, gunpowder, drugs, some philo- 
sophical instruments, books, low-priced paper, 
watches, telescopes, salt provisions, as hams, 
tongues, and barrelled pork, low-priced sadlery, 
and most of all, India and other goods fit for the 
African coast. Marble mortars, mirrors, and many 
fancy articles of less note. Silk and cotton 
hosiery, fashionable dresses for ladies, particularly 
fine stockings and shoes. 

It is to be observed that the mother-country 
still continues to send oil, wine, brandy, linens, 
cottons, some silks, and a variety of articles of 
inferior consequence. India goods, consisting 
chiefly of cottons, are sent from the Malabar 
coast, and China goods are in great plenty. From 
North America are imported flour, salt provisions, 
turpentine, tar, staves, household furniture, &c. 

Naval stores, clothing for sailors, arms, &c. 
may be said to be generally in demand. 

The staple articles of trade from Brazil and the 
river Plate which are most in demand in this 
country, when its markets are not overstocked, 
are cotton, sugar, coffee, hides, tallow of good 
quality, horns, horse and cow hair, fur-skins, and 
feathers. Brazil is well calculated for growing 



ON TRADE. 467 

sugar, having every convenience of situation, and 
all the materials requisite for machinery. To the 
ahove may be added some peculiar woods; that 
beautiful species, called jacaranda, in England 
denominated rose-wood, is generally in demand. I 
do not say any thing of indigo, as it is of inferior 
quality. Rice is cultivated to great extent. To- 
bacco, it is to be hoped, will be better cured, to 
suit the English market ; for no where can a soil 
and climate be found more favorable to the pro- 
duction of that plant than in Brazil. 

In offering, by way of conclusion, a more de- 
tailed account of the resources of this rich and 
extensive country, I shall for obvious reasons 
avoid all speculation on the political changes now 
operating in the mother country, as well as in her 
colonies, and direct my remarks solely to com- 
mercial matters. According to recent estimates 
the annual value of British goods imported into 
Brazil exceeds three millions sterling, one half of 
which may be assigned to Rio de Janeiro, from 
whence the returns are made generally in pro- 
duce, consisting of gold, diamonds, and precious 
stones, sugars, cottons, hides, tobacco, tallow, wax, 
indigo, woods, and many other articles. 

The commerce of Bahia ranks next in import- 
ance to that of Rio, and a considerable propor- 
tion of it is conducted by English merchants. 
The returns are principally made in produce, and 
this circumstance secures to the native cultivator 
an eminent advantage over the foreign trader. 

h h 2 



408 



ON TRADE. 



The main articles of produce are sugar, cotton, 
and tobacco. The annual exports of the cotton, 
may be stated at from 30,000 to 36,000 bags. Its 
quality varies according to the district in which 
it is produced ; that which is brought hither from 
the southern parts of the province of Pernambuco, 
is called for as, in contradistinction with the cot- 
ton of Bahia, which is denominated dentros. The 
former is considered of superior staple, being 
stronger and more silky, but it seldom arrives in 
a clean state, or free from seeds and other sub- 
stances negligently left by the planters. The 
dentros, though neither so strong nor so silky 
as the foras, are generally much better dressed, 
and hence they are considered of almost equal 
value. Much of this cotton is grown in the ex- 
tensive plantations near Villa Nova do Principe. 
Eight ninths of the cotton shipped at Bahia is ex- 
ported to England, and principally to the port of 
Liverpool. 

The quantity of sugar annually exported from 
hence is very considerable, and in some years has 
exceeded a million of arrohas*. The growth of 
tobacco varies according to the season ; an average 
crop has been estimated at 600,000 arrobas. One 
third, and frequently one half of a crop is rejected 
as unfit for shipment to Europe. The refuse is 
sent to the Portuguese possessions in Africa, but 
the demand for it has greatly diminished since the 



* An arrola is equal to 32] bs. avoirdupois. 



ON TRADE. 



469 



abolition of the slave trade in that continent, 
north of the equator, that being the quarter in 
which it was principally consumed. A great 
quantity is exported to the Plata, and from thence 
is sent to various parts of the interior. 

Upwards of 150 sail of vessels have been dis- 
patched from hence in the course of one year, of 
which number one third was destined for the 
ports of the mother country, and little short of 
one third for those of Great Britain ; besides the 
staple articles of cotton, sugar, and tobacco, the 
exports include large quantities of hides, mo- 
lasses, rum, and woods. Many large and most ex- 
cellent ships have been built at this place, the 
timber of which is of a superior quality. 

Pernambuco is celebrated for producing the 
best cotton in Brazil, and it owes this distinction 
to the careful scrutiny which that article under- 
goes. After inspection it is divided into three 
qualities; the second quality is allowed to pass 
with the first, and the purchaser receives for it an 
allowance of 500 reas per arroba from the planter ; 
the third quality is wholly rejected*. The bags are 
then weighed, and the export duty charged on them. 
About eighty thousand bags are annually ex- 
ported, of which sixty thousand may be consider- 
ed as destined for Great Britain, and the residue 

* Cotton of third quality is manufactured in the country into coarse 
cloth for bags, negroes dresses, &c. and exported to the Spanish co- 
lonies in large quantities. 



470 ON TRADE. 

principally to Lisbon. The annual export of sugar 
lias been estimated at 25,000 cases, of which 
nearly one half goes to England, and the rest to 
the mother country. This product is consider- 
ably on the increase. 

The principal exports from Maranham are cot- 
ton, rice, hides, and Indian corn. Its cotton 
ranks next in quality to that of Pernambuco, and 
obtains a price very little inferior. The quantity 
annually exported has been estimated at sixty 
thousand bags, of which more than three fourths 
may be considered as destined for the English 
market. The annual export of rice exceeds three 
hundred thousand arrobas. It is calculated that 
the trade of this port employs yearly upwards of 
one hundred sail, of which one half are destined 
*br England. Sugar is beginning to form a con- 
siderable article of commerce at this port, many 
extensive plantations having been made. Sweet- 
meats and confectionery are cured here, and at the 
abovementioned places in great perfection, and 
are exported in quantities almost beyond credibi- 
lity. 

The foreign commerce of Para may be consi- 
dered still in its infancy, as its principal city, 
Belem, is accessible only to vessels of small bur- 
then. Its cottons are considered little inferior to 
those of Bahia. Its other exports consist of ex- 
cellent cocoa, coffee, rice, in great quantities, sar- 
saparilla, raw and tanned hides, gums, various 
drugs, some sugar, molasses, timber, and curious 



ON TRADE. 



471 



woods. The vast territories of this capitania are 
but little known, and very thinly peopled. 

In terminating the present work, the author 
cannot but express his earnest hope, that the new 
order of things now instituted in the mother 
country may tend to the permanent welfare of 
Brazil, to the developement of its rich and va 
rious resources, to the intellectual, moral, and 
social improvement of its people, to the exten- 
sion of their commerce, and to the continuance 
of that connection with Great Britain, which has 
hitherto contributed, and may henceforth more 
largely contribute, to the prosperity of both na- 
tions. 



473 



APPENDIX. 



IN page 368 of this work, I have stated, that it was 
my intention to enquire into, and to make some observa- 
tions on the present regulations relative to diamonds. 
These beautiful gems have been found in such abund- 
ance in Brazil, as to supply not only Europe, but Asia; 
as those of India are become extremely scarce, diamonds 
from Brazil have been often sent thither, and have usurped 
their name. The question we are at present about to ex- 
amine is, how far it would be consistent with the interest 
of the Portuguese Government to permit the searching 
for diamonds, in the same way as for gold, under pecu- 
liar laws. The monopoly is ineffectual, because the dia- 
monds are found in so many parts widely distant from 
each other, that it is impossible to prevent the searching 
for them. The attempt to preserve grounds known to 
contain these riches, by forming a distacamento, has not 
produced any good effect ; and it is by no means impro- 
bable, that the best of these (supposed) preserved lands 
are already worked, therefore the soldiers are guarding- 
the casket after the jewels have been taken away. How 
many places might be mentioned (out of the district of 
Cerro do Frio), where troops of negroes daily work! It 
has been stated, that government probably receive little 
more than a moiety of the gems found at their own ex- 



APPENDIX. 



pense; if so, it is certainly time to abandon a trade so 
exposed, or to change the system altogether. Is it the 
interest of Brazil to keep her enterprizing subjects in 
continual torture and fear respecting these precious gifts, 
which the bounteous hand of Providence has placed 
there % But indeed as his majesty's subjects increase 
and become more enlightened, this severe monopoly will 
destroy itself and soon begin to give way to a wise and 
political government, which will prefer a rich and power- 
ful population in the very heart of the colony to a few 
individuals. How happens it, that diamonds, in the hands 
of private persons, meet a more ready sale than those of 
government? Because they are better stones, and are 
offered in quantities more convenient for the purchasers: 
next, because they can be sold cheaper since they cost 
less. If diamonds were subject to pay a fifth, govern- 
ment would have such power as to enable them to com- 
mand the market; and if they should become cheaper in 
Europe, the demand for them would become more general, 
therefore their price would not be likely to fall in Brazil; 
and, even if it did, is it not the blindest policy for the 
court to put such a yoke round the neck of her valuable 
subjects, who venture their lives in trackless deserts 
searching for mines, and exposing themselves to every 
danger? Would it have been possible for Portugal to 
colonize Brazil if there had been no gold mines to at- 
tract adventurers'? To deny men the treasures with 
which nature has enriched the country, is to oppose one 
great check to its population; for the example of one ad- 
venturer becoming rich, is the means of inducing hun- 
dreds to follow him. Under the present system, there is 
so great a struggle between the temptation of becoming 
suddenly rich, and the fear of being ruined by detection, 
that when a man finds a diamond by accident, he knows 
not whether to appropriate it, or to surrender it to the 



APPENDIX. 



475 



government; even in the latter case, he has little prospect 
of reward, and runs the risk of being- accused as a smug- 
gler. Instances have not been uncommon of men having 
found diamonds, who have thrown them away* rather than 
involve themselves and their families in ruin, either by 
keeping- them, or delivering them to government. 

It has before been shewn, that Government are the 
greatest gaiuers by the diamonds which are sold clan- 
destinely; and if individuals were allowed to' trade in 
them, the state and the public would undoubtedly be be- 
nefited by it. For it is certain, that a Brazilian farmer or 
miner would prefer necessaries, such as iron utensils, 
clothing, &c. which add to his comforts and conveniences 
of life, to articles of ideal value, which in reality have 
come into his hands probably without difficulty or ex- 
pense. Thus the peasantry would draw valuable pro- 
duce from other countries in exchange for what cost them 
comparatively nothing, and, by enriching themselves, 
would augment the revenues of the state. 

Is it not possible to make the diamonds liable to pay a 
fifth, either in kind or in value?- In this case it is proba- 
ble that there would be less smuggling-: and that practice 
might be still more restrained, by something like the fol- 
lowing regulation: every person finding' diamonds should 
be obliged to register them ; also, to take out a certificate 
authorising him to dispose of them in whatever manner 
he thinks proper. It would certainly add to their im- 
portance, to make them subject to a trivial duty f > 011 be- 
ing lawfully transferred from the buyer to the seller, by 

* Formerly, if any diamonds were found in a gold- washing, the 
owner was obliged to desist from working it, and the ground was ap- 
propriated by government. This law is now no longer in force. 

t It is reasonable to suppose, that few persons would hazard the 
penalty incurred by- dealing in diamonds clandestinely, when, by pay- 
ing a duty, they could bring them fairly into circulation. 



476 



APPENDIX. 



which means they would come into immediate circulation 
and represent real property : thus, after yielding a very 
small profit to each person through whose hands they 
passed, they would finally be exported; and, as longas 
diamonds continued an article of distinction, ornament, 
and eleg'ance, Brazil would lay under tribute every court 
in the civilized world. 

The Dutch were artful enough to poison the ears of 
the ministers of Portugal against the proposal of making- 
diamonds a free trade, and assisted in the persecutions 
against those unfortunate sufferers who were detected in 
possessing them. But surely that narrow-minded and self- 
interested policy is now done away with ; nor would it be 
credited in modern history, that the government of Bra- 
zil, for a trivial, pecuniary profit, should be the dupes of 
their own bank and a few interested strangers. 



View of the State of Society among the Middling Classes, 
employed in 3 fining and Agriculture, 

We are naturally led to imagine, that, in a country 
where mines of gold and diamonds are found, the 
riches of the inhabitants must be immense, and their 
condition most enviable; the Portuguese themselves, 
who reside in the mining' districts, encourage this sup- 
position; and whenever they go to Rio de Janeiro, do 
not fail to make all possible show and parade. But 
let us view them in the centre of their wealth; and as 
a fair criterion of the middling classes of society, let us 
select a man possessing a property of fifty or sixty ne- 
groes, with datas of gold mines, and the necessary 
utensils for working them. The negroes alone are worth, 
at the low valuation of 100 milreis, a sum equal to £1,200, 
or £1,500 sterling; the datas and utensils, though of 



APPENDIX. 



477 



value, need not be taken into the account. Suppose this 
man to be married, and to have a family: What is the 
state of their domestic concerns, their general way of 
life? May I be allowed to describe them in the language 
which truth dictates, without exaggeration or extenua- 
tion? Their dwelling- scarcely merits the name of a 
house; it is the most wretched hovel that imagination 
can describe, consisting- of a few apartments built up to 
each other without regularity; the walls wicker-work, 
filled up with mud ; a hole left for a frame serves as a 
window, or a miserable door answers that purpose. The 
cracks in the mud are rarely filled up; and in very few 
instances only have I seen a house repaired* The floors 
are of clay, moist in itself, and rendered more disagree- 
able by the filth of its inhabitants, with whom the pigs 
not unfrequently dispute the right of possession. Some 
ranchos, it is true, are built upon piles; and underneath 
are the stables, &c. ; these are certainly a little superior 
to the former. They are built so from necessity, where 
the ground is uneven or swampy; but it may be easily 
conceived, that the disagreeable effects produced by want 
of cleanliness, must in these instances be increased by 
the effluvia from the animals underneath, which 1 have 
frequently found intolerable. 

The furniture of the house is such as might be ex- 
pected from the description above given. The beds are 
very coarse cotton cases, filled with dry grass, or the 
leaves of Indian corn. There are seldom more than two 
in a house; for the servants generally sleep upon mats, 
or dried hides laid on the floor. The furniture consists 
of one or two chairs, a few stools and benches, one table, 
or perhaps two, a few coffee-cups and a coffee-pot of 
silver; a silver drinking cup, and, in some instances, a 
silver wash-hand bason, which, when strangers are pre- 



478 



APPENDIX. 



sent, is handed round, and forms a striking contrast to 
the rest of the utensils. 

The general diet of the family consists of the same 
articles which have already been particularized in treat- 
ing of S. Paulo. The only beverage is water; and no- 
thing can be more frugal than the whole economy of the 
table. So intent is the owner on employing his slaves 
solely in employments directly lucrative, that the garden, 
on which almost the entire subsistence of the family de- 
pends, is kept in the most miserable disorder. 

In the article of dress, they do not appear more ex- 
travagant than in that of food. The children are gene- 
rally naked; the youths go without shoes, in an old 
jacket, and cotton trowsers; the men in an old capote or 
mantle wrapped around them, and wooden clogs, except 
when they go from home; and, on those occasions, they 
appear in all their splendor, forming as great a contrast 
to their domestic attire, as the gaudy butterfly does to the 
chrysalis from which it springs. 

It might be expected, that however penuriously the 
general concerns of the family were conducted, at least 
some degree of attention and expense would be bestowed 
on the dress of the females; for the test of civilization 
among all nations is the regard paid to the fair sex, on 
whom the happiness of domestic life depends. Yet the 
general poverty and meanness of their attire is such, that 
they reluctantly appear before any one, except the in- 
dividuals of their own family. 

In short, in all those departments of domestic economy, 
which to the middle classes of other civilized nations are 
objects of expense, the Brazilians exercise the most rigid 
parsimony. At first, I was inclined to attribute this dis- 
position to a love of money, which prompted ther ' 
avoid all extravagance; but, on closer observation, 1 was 



APPENDIX. 



479 



surprised to find that it originated in necessity. They 
generally take credit for the few articles they have to 
purchase, and sometimes find it difficult to maintain their 
negroes. If they purchase a mule, it is to be paid for at 
the end of one or two years, and, of course, at double its 
ordinary price. 

In such a family as that above described, the sons, as 
might be expected, are not brought up to industry; they 
are merely taught to read and write; rarely do they at- 
tend to the mining department; they learn no trade, nor 
are they instructed in any useful employment: perhaps 
an ensign or a lieutenant of militia, would think it a dis- 
grace to put his son apprentice to a mechanic. Suppose 
the father of this family to die when the sons have just 
attained the age of puberty. They are now for the first 
time obliged to think of providing for themselves. With 
little knowledge of the world, ill educated, and poor, 
they have learned to think all occupations servile, and 
their own is generally hateful to them. If they agree 
not to divide the negroes, it often happens that they run 
into debt, and continue in wretchedness; if they divide 
them, each takes his course, and adventures for himself, 
and in a short time, they are generally obliged to part 
with their slaves, and exist in indigence. Every useful 
pursuit and every comfort is neglected for the sake of 
seeking hidden treasures which very rarely are found, 
and which when found are as rarely employed to ad- 
vantage, but rather serve to increase the wants of the 
owners. 

Few, very few of the numerous class of miners from 
which the above instance is selected are rich, few are 
even comfortable; how wretched then must be the state 
of those who possess only eight or ten negroes, or whose 
l>^perty does not exceed three or four hundred pounds. 

Thus situated in one of the finest climates in the world, 



480 



APPENDIX. 



with rich lands full of the finest timber, abounding in 
rivulets and water -falls in every direction, containing, 
besides precious minerals, iron ores, and almost every 
other useful product, the inhabitants of Brazil, though 
secured from absolute want, remain in indigence. Jt is 
true, the miner procures his gold by great labor, but this 
need not preclude him from improving his domestic con- 
dition. Were his hovel converted into a house, his slaves 
better fed and lodged, and his family better provided for, 
his whole affairs would receive a new impulse, and every 
part of his property would become doubly productive. 



Negroes employed as Messengers. 

One description of men whom I have omitted to men- 
tion before, are negroes employed as messengers by the 
various chiefs in the Capitania of Minas Geraes. The 
men selected for this employment are the most trusty and 
able-bodied that can be found. Their letters are locked 
up in a leathern bag*, which they buckle round them, and 
never take off until they deliver its contents. They 
carry a gun and ammunition with them to defend them- 
selves, as well as to provide themselves with food. 
Wherever they halt, they are sure of a kind and friendly 
reception, for nothing can exceed the cordiality with 
which the negroes welcome each other. These men are 
trusted on very important missions, and are despatched 
to every part of the Capitania. On urgent occasions, 
some of them have performed journeys with astonishing 
celerity. I was most credibly informed, that one of them 
had been known to travel seven hundred miles on a 
mountainous road in sixteen days, though that distance 
usually occupies twenty or twenty-one days. The men 



APPENDIX. 



481 



are generally tall, and of spare habit; they are accustomed 
to light food and long abstinence. 



Diseases peculiar to the Country. 
Of diseases I did not hear of any that were contagious, 
except Psora, which sometimes prevails among the lower 
orders, who rarely use any remedy against it, nor will 
they hear of sulphur, as they believe it to be fatal. Colds, 
attended with fever, are the most general complaints; 
but consumptions are rarely heard of. Among the 
miners, I saw no symptoms of elephantiasis, though that 
disease is so common in many other parts of Brazil, par- 
ticularly on the sea-coast. The sciatica which afflicts 
travellers after long journeys on mules, is attributed by 
the people of the country to the bodily heat of those 
animals, which is much greater than that of horses, and 
communicates to the loins of the rider, occasioning almost 
constant excruciating" pain, which frequently becomes 
chronic, and sometimes incurable. Being, on my return 
from the diamond district, much tormented with this 
complaint, 1 was naturally led to make inquiries on the 
subject, and was informed, that a person in the house 
where 1 then resided, had returned from a long journey 
in the same predicament, and was about to undergo the 
mode of cure commonly practised in the country. I was 
desirous of inquiring the nature of it, and begged to be 
introduced to him. On conversing with him, I found 
that his symptoms were similar to mine; he complained 
of great pain in the os sacrum, and down the left thigh 
to the knee, which afflicted him most when in bed, where 
he could not bear to lie in any posture for half an hour 
together, but was obliged to rise and wait until the 
warmth was abated, when he lay down again. Thus he 
II 



482 



APPENDIX. 



could get no sleep night or day. On asking if he had 
tried any external application as a stimulus, he replied, 
that neither that nor any other remedy was of the smallest 
avail, except the one peculiar to the country. The oper- 
ation was as follows: The patient lay down on a bench 

with his back upwards, and a youth, twelve or fourteen 
years of age, knelt upon his loins, and continued to 
trample them (as it were) with his knees for about the 
space of half an hour, until the muscles were entirely 
bruised. In a few hours afterwards, the part became 
highly discolored. If one operation had not the desired 
effect, another, and even a third, would be had recourse 
to. It must be confessed, that this remedy, in removing 
one evil, occasions another; but the advantage is, that the 
latter is of short duration, whereas the former endures 
sometimes for life, and gives continual affliction. In some 
cases the remedy has been applied with success, but in 
others it has entirely failed. 



On the Use of Me rcury in the Mining Department, 
The Government of Brazil would find it highly to their 
interest to promote the use of mercury in the gold district. 
The process of amalgamation is so simple, that there 
would be no difficulty in introducing it generally among 
miners; and it would save much time and labor in the 
last operation of washing, or what is called purifying. 

Perhaps it may not be improper, in this place, to de- 
scribe the method pursued in working the silver mines 
on the coast of Chili, which may be estimated to produce 
about a million of dollars annually. Some of these mines 
are full fifty yards deep; and we are told of one nearly 
as many fathoms. It is probable that they are sunk upon 
veins of ore; and they are so ill secured, that they fre- 



APPENDIX. 



483 



quently fill, and bury those within them. The metal is 
generally a sulphuret of silver with antimony, lead, and 
blende: it is brought up on the shoulders of wretched 
Indians, who descend and ascend by insecure posts with 
notches cut in them. They are total strangers to the 
operations of boring and blasting, and use only miserable 
hammers and wedges. The vein stuff with the metal is, 
in some places, reduced by means of a large stone^ ill- 
constructed, rolling on its edge; in others, it is pounded 
by hand, and, when sufficiently fine, it is washed by 
several operations in a slovenly manner, until the me- 
tallic part alone remains, which is not unlike lead ore 
dust. This is formed into small heaps, perhaps about 
1001b, to each of which are added about 20 or 251b of 
muriate of soda*. This is triturated and worked both by 
hands and feet for three or four days. When the salt is 
judged to be sufficiently incorporated with the metal, mer- 
cury is used in the proportion of from five to ten per cent, 
and is triturated until it loses its globular form; to prove 
which, a small bit is rubbed upon a horn, or upon the 
thumb-nail,, and if any globules appear, however minute, 
the trituration is continued until they totally disappear f. 
To this mixture the workmen frequently add filth, rags 
torn into small bits, &c. place crosses upon the heaps, 
and use many ridiculous ceremonies dictated by folly and 
a belief in necromancy. At length the mercury unites 
with the silver, and forms with it a paste-like mass 
separating itself from the remainder, which is thrown 
away. This mass is put into goat-skins, and, by twisting 
and squeezing, a great part of the mercury passes through, 
leaving a portion of nearly pure silver, which is afterwards 

* Bay salt. 

t It would be interesting to enquire, in what manner the salt acts 
upon the ore containing silver, for without it the mercury has no 
effect. 



484 



APPENDIX. 



melted. The remainder is sublimed by heat, and is con- 
densed with more or less loss, according* to the mode 
applied, and the skill of the operator. Some little gold 
is procured from some of the mines on this coast, by a 
similar process. 

In this part of Chili, the state of society is wretched ; 
gambling is a general vice, and assassinations are scarcely 
regarded as criminal. The greatest depredations are 
committed with impunity, nor do the crosses placed on 
the heaps protect them; so that, when a mine proves good, 
the hopes of the proprietor are often frustrated through 
the poverty and envy of his neighbours. 

The copper mines of Guasco, Copiapo, and Coquimbo, 
are wretchedly worked, nor would it perhaps be safe to 
introduce other methods. The copper is smelted in a 
hearth with bellows and wood ; and if, when it runs into 
cakes, it has the appearance of copper, they do not smelt 
it again, but if it is so covered and intermixed with slag 
as not to be known, it is broken up and undergoes a 
second smelting, when not unfrequently slag is placed so 
as to be in the centre. These, and other deceptions, have 
brought the trade into great discredit. The copper is 
sold from eight to eleven dollars per 1041b. It is con- 
sidered a poor trade, though the Spaniards generally think 
the Chilian copper, and even the timber which serves for 
fuel, to be full of gold!! 

Of the mines of Chili I have lately received a very 
particular account, from which it appears that they are 
not under any regulations, and are extremely ill worked. 
They are considered a very bad species of property; and 
almost every metallic vein hitherto discovered, whether 
worked or not, has numerous claimants, who are con- 
tinually litigating with each other, so as totally to prevent 
their bein°: worked to advantage. Chili contains abun- 
dance of copper, some lead, a little gold, a portion of 



APPENDIX. 485 

silver, and a great quantity of iron, and would, in the 
possession of an industrious and civilized people, be, 
without doubt, very productive. The mines in Peru, on 
the contrary, are subject to regular laws, and the property 
is secured to its owner, particularly in Pasco, where they 
are now working to great advantage, under the control 
of liberal and enlightened men. It must be observed, 
that their proprietors are much richer than those of Chili, 
where numerous individuals claim what is scarcely worth 
being possessed by one. This state of things discourages 
adventurers ; for who would erect an engine and free a 
mine, to be claimed by another? Society there is still in 
a wretched state ; the miners are in the lowest state of 
indigence; and though paid for their work, it would be 
dangerous to prevent them from carrying some of the 
produce away as their own, thefts of this sort being very 
general in this province. 

Several Cornish miners have lately been sent out, at 
very high wages, and under very flattering circumstances, 
but some disappointments have occurred in the under- 
taking- to which they were destined. In the course of 
the year 1820, some Derbyshire miners, men of good 
character, were engaged to proceed to Chili for the pur- 
pose of instructing the natives in the various branches of 
their art. Since their arrival I have received very gratify- 
ing accounts from them, announcing that they have com- 
menced their labors by clearing the mines of water, and 
that they have immense masses of silver to work upon, 
some lumps of which, weighing above 101b. each, they 
have sent over as specimens. 



THE END. 



INDEX. 



ABAITE, rivulet, diamonds found in, 344. 
Alto do Morro, 231. 
Alto de Virginia, 229, 
Araguaya, or Grande, river, 409. 
Arinos, river, 415. 

Armac^o, village of, near St. Catherine's, 07. A fishing- 
station, 68. 
Asumpcion, city of, 439. 

BAHIA, account of, 391. Sugar plantations, 395. To- 
bacco, 398. Cotton, 400. Indigo, 401. 
Bandeira de Coelho, 228. 
Barbacena, 224. 

Barro e Castro, near Villa Rica, visit to the estates of, 

258, 261, 268, 269. 
Barriga Negra, journey to, 22. 
Baugre, mode of fishing for the, 59. 
Belmonte, 203. 
Bertioga, harbour of, 123. 
Borda do Campo, village of, 218. 

Brazil: arrival at St. Catherine's, 57, Description of the 
island, 58. Arrival at ArmaQao, 67. Bay of dos 
Ganchos, 68. Garoupas, 72. Plain of Coritiva de- 
scribed, 75. Port of S. Francisco, 81. Santos, 82. 



488 



INDEX. 



Journey to S. Paulo, 85. Description of S. Paulo, 
92. Gold washings at Jaragua, 107. Manners of 
the Paulistas, 113. Character, 121. Coasting voy- 
age from Santos to Sapitiva, 122. Journey to Rio 
de Janeiro, 130. City described, 135. Trade, 139. 
State of society, 146. Visit to Santa Cruz, 148. 
Province of the Rio, 154. Journey to Canta Gallo, 
157. Gold- washing of Santa Rita, 177. Rio Grande, 
183. Reputed silver mine, 185. Agriculture, 189. 
Journey to the diamond mines, 195, 206. A topaz 
mine, 233. Arrival at Villa Rica, 235. Its origin 
and present state, 243. Notice on the Buticudos, 
273. Villa do Principe, 305. Arrival at Tejuco, 
311. Diamond works on the river Jiquitinhonha, 
313. Account of Minas Novas and Paracatu, 337. 
Of Tejuco and Cerro do Frio, 349. Management of 
the diamond works, 353. Return to Rio de Janeiro, 
370. General view of Minas Geraes, 376. S. Joao 
d' El Rey, 384. Sahara, 386. Bahia, 391. Per- 
il ambuco, 401. Seara, 402. Maranham, ib. Para 
403. Matto Grosso, 407. Rio Grande do Sul, 442. 
General observations on the trade with England, 
450. 

Buticudos, Indians, measures of the Brazilian government 
for converting, 274. A boy belonging to them de- 
scribed, 299. 

Buenos Ayres, its population, 46. Races composing it, 
47. 

CAMAPUA, river, 428. 

Camara, Dr. his reception of the author at Tejuco, 311. 
Camarro, 288. 

Canta Gallo, journey to, 157. Description of, 170. 
Capao, topaz mine near, 232. 
Cara, an esculent root, 97. 



INDEX. 489 
Carrapato, golcUwork at, 323. 

Cascalho, a species of gravel containing gold, 107. And 

diamonds, 314, 
Catas Altas, 289. 

Cerro do Frio, 307. Observations on. 349. Diamond 
ground described, ib. Animals peculiar to the 
district, 368. 

Chingu, river, 410. 

Clara e Maria, farm of, 214. 

Conceigao, village of, 302. 

Corgo do Inficionado, 289. 

Coritiva, plain of, 73. Its climate, 75. Its advantages, 
78. 

Corolina, visit to a diamond work at, 333. 
Cubatao, village of, 85. 
Cuiaba, account of, 424. 

DEVOLUTO, meaning of the term applied to land, 347. 

Diamond District, entrance into, 307. (See Tejuco). 
Mode of washing for diamonds, 314. A view of those 
deposited in the treasury at Tejuco, 329. Observa- 
tions on the diamond district, 349. Illicit trade, 356, 
360. How to be prevented, 363. 

Disperteros, a sort of birds so called, 111. 

ENGORDA Cavallos, a species of grass, 335. 

FAR1NHA de milho, mode of cooking, 280. 
Felicio, Senhor, his mansion, 290. 
Ferreira, Antonio, fazenda of, 212. 

, Capt. his plantation, 161. 

Flax, culture of, in Brazil, 220. 

GAMA, fazenda do, 225. 
Garoupas, harbour of, 72. 



490 



INDEX. 



Gaspar Soares, village of, 290. 

Goyaz, account of, 405. 

Grimpeiros, treated as smugglers, 170* 

INDIAN Corn, mill for grinding, 190. 
Inferninho, river, 69. 
Ttambe, 294. 

JACARANDA, rose-wood, common in S. Paulo, 106. 
Jaragua, gold washings at, 107. Mode of working, 108. 
Jiquitinhonha, river, visit to the diamond works on, 313, 
Juruena, river, 416. 

LAGOS, village of, 297. 
Lavras Velhas, 260. 

Lichen, from Minas Geraes, containing coloring matter, 
382. 

MACHADO, farm of, 182. 

Madeira, isle of, on the coast of Brazil, 129. 

Madeiras, farm of, 211. 

Mandanga, visit to the diamond works at, 312. 

Mandioca, how cultivated, 101. 

Mantiqueira, farm of, 217. 

Maranham, account of, 402. 

Mariana, city of, 257. 

Marimbondos, insects so called, 191. 

Mate, herb, of Paraguay, 27. 

Mathias Barbosa, register of, 210. 

Matto Grosso, geographical description of, 407. 

Meni, a species of ground-nut, 162. 

Minas Geraes, general view of, 376. 

Minas Novas, account of, 338. 

Monteiro, diamond work at, 323. 

Monte Video, arrival at, 1, 3. Confinement there, Ad- 



INDEX. 



491 



venture at the signal-house, 8. Description of the 
town, 11. inhabitants, 12. Trade, 13. Climate, 
15. Vicinity, 16, Farms, 17. Fazendas, 18. Breed- 
ing of cattle, 19. Defective state of agriculture, 32. 
Town taken by the British, 40. 

Moremim, river, 202. 

Morro de St. Anna, 288. 

Morro Queimado, fazenda do, 165. 

NEGROES employed in the diamond works, observations 
on, 358. 

OURO Branco, 298. 

PARA, account of, 403. 
Paracatu, account of, 343, 
Paraguay, river, 419, 434. 
Paraibuna, river, 207. 
Parana, river, 431, 441. 
Pardo, river, 429. 
Pecari, or pig of the woods, 38. 

Peons of Paraguay, 28. Mode of catching cattle, 29. Their 
habits of life, 34. Dress, 36. Exploit of a female, 37. 
Pernambuco, account of, 402. 
Piabunha, river, 204. 
Piranga, 276. 

Plata, Rio de la, voyage to, 1. Origin of the name, 441. 
Porto Negro, near llha Grande, 128. 
Pounding machine for Indian corn, 190. 
Purpura, a shell of the murex genus, 70. 

REGISTRO Velho, 222. 
Resequinha, 223. 

Rio de Janeiro, arrival at, 133. Description of, 135. 
Trade, 140. State of society, 146. 



492 



INDEX. 



Rio do Carmo, 250, 

Rio Grande do Sul, account of, 442. 

Rio Pardo, visit to the diamond works on, 33i . 

Rosina de Negra, 209. 

SABARA, account of, 386. Gold-washing, 387. 
Santo Antonio, farm of, 182. 
Santa Cruz, royal farm of, 148. 

St. Catherine's, isle of, voyage to, 55. Arrival, 57. 

Description, 58. Trade, 59. Its parishes, 61. 
St. Francisco, river, described, 346. Harbour of, 73. 
San Gonzal, diamond work at, 371. 
S. Joao d' El Rey, account of, 384. 
San Jose da Barra Longa, 272. 

San Paulo, 90. Described, 22. Population, 94. Manu- 
factures, 96. System of farming, 100. Manners 
and customs of the inhabitants, 115, 118. 

St. Pedro d' El Rey, settlement of, 425. 

Santa Rita, gold washing at, 177. 

Santos, harbour of, 82. Its intercourse with S. Paulo, 

84. Voyage from, to Sapitiva, 122. 
Sapitiva, arrival at, 129. Journey from, to Rio de Janeiro, 

130. 

Savages, measures of the Brazilian government for con- 
verting, 274. 
Seara, its trade, 402. 
Sebollati, river, 23. 
Serpents, large, in Minas Novas, 339. 
Silver-mine, account of a reputed one, 185. 
Sorocaba, 74. 

Sugar, process of making, in Bahia, 395. 
Sumidouro, river, 415. 

TAPAJOS, River, 413. 
Tapinhoa canga, 303, 



INDEX. 



493 



Tejuco, capital of the diamond district, arrival at, 310. 
Description of, 326. Visit to the treasury, 328. 
Observations on, 349. Civil and military establish- 
ments at, 352. Mode of preventing illicit trade, 
363. State of society in, 369. 

Thomas, father, his farm, 184. 

Tiete, river, 431. 

Tigreno, river, 69. 

Tocaya, advantages of its situation, 341. 
Topaz mine near Capao, 232. 
Toque Toque, harbour of, 125. 

URUGUAY, river, 447. 

VAZ, hamlet of, 292. 
Vermelho, river, 429. 

Villa do Principe, a pretended diamond found at, 196. 
Arrival at, 305. 

Villa Rica, arrival at, 235. Description of, 238. Its 
origin and present state, 244. Visit to the mint, 252. 
Visit to the estates of Barro e Castro, 258. Revisited 
on returning to the capital, 375. Military establish- 
ment there, 377. 

WOODS, species peculiar to Brazil, 188. 

ZUR1LLA, description of that animal, 38. 



FINIS. 



W. M'Dowall, Printer, Pemberton Row, 
Gough Square. 



ERRATUM. 

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